Reload
by Lesser Ninja
Summary: Minato's been rescued from his stint as a guardian seal, and shortly finds himself in the past fighting alongside his younger counterpart to take down NYX for good; Thus, 'Hayate' Arisato is born. New Game Plus.
1. Chapter 1

Darkness took me.

I could see nothing, hear nothing, taste nothing.

My memories swam in the fog of my mind.

Where was I?

Wait.

…

A battle.

I remember a battle.

There was…a great evil, and also a great triumph.

Bits and pieces returned to me.

Yes.

Yes. I think that I…

…

There was a great noise, screaming through the air. The din of combat reached me, but I was too tired to move.

I felt cold air touch my face, and tightness around my arms. I strained to open my eyes, but found I could not do so.

Suddenly, an inhumane roar reached my ears. The dying gurgle of a great beast at its end.

There was an echoing silence, and then I heard footsteps.

Suddenly my arms were released, and I heard the sharp clatter of chains as I felt my body plummet down. I gasped in blind fear, when I felt myself slide against a wall with my back, and then felt someone catch me.

"…open…open your eyes…"

The words sounded as if they were underwater, barely audible as I felt about with my hands.

"_Open your eyes, Minato_."

I stilled, and with great effort lifted my eyelids to take in the visage of a white haired girl in a torn blue dress.

"E-Elizabeth?" I croaked out.

"Shh…Your throat must be parched." She held out a canteen to me, and I drank gratefully of the cool water inside, rivulets running down the sides of my cheeks.

I swallowed, and sat up straighter as she helped steady me.

"Where…what happened?"

"You've exceeded our expectations and overcome the darkness of humanity." She stated in her sharp, cultured tone.

I looked at her.

"You have defeated Nyx."

Then I remembered everything.

"Then…where are the others? What-THE SEAL!"

I tried to rise to my feet, but found myself sluggish, and without energy. Elizabeth steadied me once more, and cooed soflty.

"_Shhh_, don't fret. The seal is still there."

A pleased smirk reached her face.

"I merely…_substituted_ something else in your place."

I slowly looked over my shoulder toward the large golden gates, to see Igor chained in my place.

"**What the hell?**"

Elizabeth began to giggle, and soon I joined her as we laughed uncontrollably.

…

She brought me back to the velvet room. I sank into a chair wearily, and she covered me with a blue blanket that had been lying around somewhere.

After a moment, Elizabeth returned with some steaming hot tea for the both of us, and I sipped at it gingerly as she sat across from me.

"Thank you."

The strange girl looked up at me with surprise.

"Thank you for saving me."

I detected a faint blush on her cheeks as she demurely lowered her eyes and sipped her tea.

"Do you remember that incident with the time-manipulation?" She asked me.

"Of course."

"Did you ever wonder the reason behind it?" Her eyes met mine in a calculating stare.

"…I can't say that I have, actually."

"You are aware that the senior Kirijo was taken by the idea of creating a time manipulation device with the shadows, correct?"

I thought back the revelation we had at Yakushima.

"Yes."

"Well…" Elizabeth crossed her legs and leaned back in her chair triumphantly.

"I managed to perfect the art."

…

…

…

"Pardon?"

She leaned foreword and told me conspiratorially, "I had been testing the theory when we had that accident, where the days repeated one after the other. Now, I am able to send you _back_ in time."

I stared.

"But…why?"

Her gaze softened.

"Don't you wish to avoid this fate? In this timeline you are still unable to return to the human world, but in reverse, you could fight alongside your younger self…"

She smiled at me.

"And change things for the better."

My thoughts raced, go _back_ in time? I could prevent Shinji's death, stop Ikutski, and-

Aigis.

_If I saved the younger me, they could be together._

I was silent for a few moments, and then I nodded. I would do anything to make her happy again.

"Okay."

Elizabeth lit up with happiness.

"Brilliant! I will go and prepare-"

I grabbed her wrist as she rose to leave.

"What about you?"

She was put off by the question.

"I'm sorry?"

My look softened as I stepped closer to her.

"What about you, Elizabeth? What do you want?"

She bit her lip and looked down; then met my gaze again with a sad smile.

"I've enjoyed watching you, my hero. You saved the world, and showed me so much. Alas, I will always be forced to reside here, but I take comfort in being your…"

A single tear escaped her eye.

"…your guardian angel."

I gazed at her for a moment, before holding her tenderly against my chest.

"Thank you, my lady."

She giggled into my lapel, "I…I like the sound of that."

We parted and she looked at me with sparkling eyes.

"If…I-If you ever wish to speak for a while…"

"I will visit you." I promised her with a smile.

She tore off a tiny scrap of her battle-damaged dress, and tied it to my arm.

"My champion."

She patted the token and sniffed. After a moment she looked up at me with her old fiery enthusiasm.

"Are you ready to defy fate once more?"

I grinned confidently.

"Absolutely."

…

It was April in the first term of the Gekkoukan High School year, and in the city below the night was stained green and red with the dark hour.

Three teenagers raced along a train car as it sped along the monorail, a shadow controlling the front car.

"We're not going to make it!" Yukari screamed with increasing panic. Every second that went by was one closer to colliding with the next train.

"Shaddup! I got this!" Junpei swung his katana in a wide arc, killing the last Screaming Tiara. Still, there were three more beyond them.

Things were looking grim, the leader grit his teeth and pushed on, fighting through the shadows with determination.

The three reached the last car adjacent to the control room. Beyond the Plexiglas door they could see the Priestess arcane shadow waiting for them.

"Hurry!" Mitsuru commanded over the open channel, "There's no time lef-"

At that moment the front car exploded in a burst of red light.

…

Minato, Junpei and Yukari lay sprawled amongst the second car as the train screeched to a stop.

"D-Damn, what the hell was that?!" Junpei spoke shakily as he regained his footing against a metal railing.

"Wh-what happened?" Yukari rose too, and stared in horror at the destruction of the front car.

Mitsuru came on the radio again, her voice had a lace of fear in it, "That…that was Ragnarok. A fire skill, one of the highest."

She swallowed and came back on. "What happened?! I don't sense the shadow anymore, are you all right?!"

The three teenagers stared out through the smoke. They disembarked from the train car and looked out past the end.

A lone figure walked along the tracks towards them.

He wore a long, double breasted black coat, and a white collared shirt. The leather straps of a shoulder holster could be seen underneath his coat, with the grip of a handgun protruding slightly at his left. In his right hand he carried the legendary sword Excalibur, and in his left a SEES evoker.

The blue haired teenager looked up at them, and grinned.

"Nice to meet you."


	2. Chapter 2

The quote is from a poem by AthairNaRèir.

Junpei gripped the katana in his shaking hand more firmly, and cried out to the stranger.

"H-hey! Who the hell are you?!"

Yukari was startled into action by his outcry, and without making any comments about 'stupei' she readied her bow in support.

Minato, however, was transfixed to the spot.

The person standing on the monorail tracks looked exactly like him.

They shared the same high cheekbones, the grey, passive eyes, cobalt hairstyle and facial structure. Looking at the two of them, one would say they're brothers.

_Family?_

Minato's eyes became unfocused as he stared at the newcomer. He felt a hitch in his breath and his throat seize up.

His companions could not see the distress the leader was experiencing as they faced the powerful stranger.

…

"Are you alright?" he asked calmly.

"Um…y-yeah." Junpei lowered his guard stance as the teenager made no move to attack them.

"Junpei!" Hissed Yukari under her breath, "He could still be dangerous!"

"Trust me, miss," He spoke again, "I'm not an enemy."

The guy holstered his evoker in a holster at his hip, and sheathed his sword within his long coat. He made eye contact with Minato at that moment, and drew a symbol in the air.

Arisato had a sudden feeling of vertigo, and then it passed as quickly as it came.

"I have something to take care of. But-" and he raised his hand as Yukari stepped foreword to question him, "We _will_ meet again at some point…sorry for being a mysterious prick about it."

The teenager grinned wryly and jumped up to the lip of the monorail track, overlooking the city streets.

"Hey!" Junpei called out suddenly.

The blue haired stranger looked back.

Iori cracked a smile and scratched the back of his neck nervously.

"Thanks for saving us, sempai!"

He nodded.

"Sorry to steal your kill."

He waved a two-finger salute, and dropped off out of sight.

…

…

…

"What's going on?" Mitsuru had come on over the radio again.

"…We'll tell you when we get back, sempai." Yukari nervously let out the breath she'd been holding.

Junpei whistled.

"Man, what a lucky break! I though for sure we weren't gonna make it…Hey, you okay man?"

Minato was still staring at the place where the stranger had dropped out of sight. Only when Yukari nudged his shoulder did he snap out of his daze and look around.

"…Yeah. I'm…I'm fine."

"Whatever…You want to grab something to eat?" Junpei tiredly stretched his arms and began ambling away as the last few minutes in the dark hour ticked away.

Yukari and Minato followed, it was time to head back to the dorm.

…

I turned the throttle back a little more, and the motorcycle leapt foreword even faster. I didn't have much time before the dark hour was over.

Hell, insulating the mechanics from the effects of said hour was hard enough. Thankfully, I remembered most of what Mitsuru had taught me.

I caught a glimpse of a dark tendril up ahead.

I manoeuvred my Ninja ZX-12r up to the curb of the shopping complex, and disembarked.

I stared up at the rooftop as the hot metal of the bike beside me plinked as it cooled off.

Death stared back.

A cinch on the sword harness and I was walking through the doors.

…

I coughed as the backwash of the Megido washed over my area. That last strike _hurt_, damn it.

I watched the fragment of death dissipate into nothing.

Not ten minutes later the dark hour had passed, and I found myself surrounded once more by the sounds of the city nightlife.

My feet ached as I sat down on the edge on the building, removing a packet of cigarettes from an inner pocket.

There was a lot of work cut out for me if I hoped to avert the coming tragedies.

A breath of blued smoke exhaled as I rolled my stiff shoulders.

Sometimes you have to take the bad with the good. I knew that better than most, but there was _no way_ that I would give in to this fate.

My eyes fixated on the glowing embers at the end of my smoke.

I thought about all of my friends, about all of the people lost, about the ambitions of a few twisted men, and the anguish of the heartbroken.

"There is no justice," I whispered thickly.

"There is only me."

…

…

…

"Wow, that sounds badass." I grinned like an idiot and tossed my cig. It arced once over the city and fell into the darkness below.

I straightened up and descended the building to my motorcycle, which was now attracting the stares of the un-transmogrified people. I _was_ parked on the front walkway, after all.

I turned the key and twisted the throttle as I pressed the electric start.

Click, click, _gone_.

Nyx, I'm going to fuck you RIGHT over.

…

"So what you're telling me Iori…" Ikutsuki began, "Is that a man who looks like Arisato stormed in and killed the shadow before you even got there?"

The SEES members looked at each other uneasily as they shifted in their seats. The fourth floor control room had a nervous tension in the air.

"Well, yeah…"

"Who was he?"

"He…didn't say."

"How did he dispatch the shadow?"

"I dunno, he used an Agi skill or something."

"Ragnarok," Mitsuru spoke up. "He used a high-level fire skill to decimate the shadow."

"What?" Ikutsuki seemed alarmed by this. "How is it possible?"

"He just showed up holding this cool sword and an evoker…" Yukari trailed off.

"How did he get a Kirijo group evoker?!"

There was a moment of silence after Ikutsuki's almost accusatory outburst.

Mitsuru decided to break the ice.

"Who ever he is, he's done us a great favor. For the time being we will operate as normal and wait to see if this individual chooses to contact us."

There were murmurs of agreement all around, though Ikutsuki was now deep in thought, fingers interlaced on his lap.

Kirijo turned to the silent member of the group.

"Is there a problem Arisato?"

For the second time in a night, Minato was startled out of his train of thought.

"N-No. I'm fine."

…

Mitusru closed her eyes.

"Very well. Dismissed."

The chairman and the teenagers all filed out of the room.

"Minato," The redhead put her hand on his shoulder as he walked towards the door.

"Do you think he's your-"

"My parents died in a car crash." Minato said duly. "I didn't have any siblings."

"Oh…I see."

The redheaded Kirijo awkwardly rubbed her arm, looking at the floor.

Minato sighed, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you."

"I understand."

He stared at the floor as well. Mitsuru finally brushed by on her way out.

"Do take care of yourself, Arisato."

The SEES leader nodded as much to himself as the departing girl, and walked off to his room.

He fell into his bed hoping to find solace in sleep from his shaken and confused thoughts.

…

"Hello."

If Minato was a more vocally-incline person he would have chosen that moment to scream.


	3. Chapter 3

"SHH! Relax man; I'm not going to kill you or anything!" The man in black whispered frantically.

This sort of statement is often more credible when the person is not holding a hand over your struggling mouth.

"OKAY! Okay…" When Minato had ceased struggling violently, the stranger withdrew a step, holding his hands out in a universal 'I am unarmed and not dangerous' gesture ruined by the sight of his handgun peeking out of the lapel of his coat.

"Now, I'm sure you have some questions, and I do have the answers." The blue haired guy looked to Arisato for permission to continue.

"W-who the hell ARE you?" He whispered almost hysterically.

"I'm Solid Snake."

"What?"

"I'm you from the future."

Something clicked, and Minato examined the other's face in closer detail. From every crease to the smallest freckle, _this was the same face he saw in the mirror every morning._

"H-how?" Minato asked disbelievingly.

"It doesn't really matter, and I don't think you really care _how_," drawled the doppelganger, "but I'm here to fix some of the things that went wrong my time around."

"Now," he sat cross legged like a genie on the edge of the younger self's bed.

"I can't tell you anything really important just yet, since it'll screw up the timeline and then any knowledge of past events I had is useless…"

He held up one of his fingers.

"But I CAN tell you that you need to start saving up you money for armor and persona from the compendium."

"Wha-"

"Elizabeth will tell you tomorrow. You don't have to buy weapons anymore either; you'll find better ones in Tartaurus more frequently."

"Erm-"

"Oh, and I suggest you take the dancing lessons the _first_ time Mitsuru offers them, they'll be invaluable in getting you laid later on."

"WHAT?"

"Not so loud. Now I left a sheet of the answers for this year's exams on your table, so you can repurpose that time to training with Akihiko. Girls will dig the toned body."

"….a….a…"

"Don't act freaked out, we're the same fucking person. Hell, let me tell you, the girl you end up with is a ridiculously hot…actually I'm sure you'll find out on your own. Just remember, she likes having her neck nibbled on, right at the cleft of shoulder and neck, and loves it when you kiss down her stomach."

Minato had lost his capability for speech at this point.

"Just…treat her well." The stranger had a funny look in his eye as he rubbed the back of his head. "Hell, I know you will. You're me, after all."

There was silence as the two Arisatos looked at each other.

"Here's my new cell number. Call me when you need some help. I'll join you guys a little later in the year. Right now I have some work to do."

He stood up and turned to leave, then paused at the door.

"…Don't trust Ikutsuki."

And then he was gone.

…

The next day I covered my eyes with the back of my hand as the sunlight began to shine through the window blinds.

Time to get to work.

I rose out of the sleeping bag and stretched my aching back. Stripping down to my bare skin, I walked over into the concrete-floored laundry room. There was barely enough room for the basin-sized sink, and the clothing racks, let alone the heating system.

I turned the old metal tap on, and ducked my head under the refreshingly cool deluge.

Gasping with shock, I snatched the shampoo next, and began scrubbing my cobalt locks. After managing to soap up most of my upper body, I doused myself again and then turned off the water.

The room was deathly quiet again.

I tousled my hair with a fuzzy towel, walking over to my clothes cabinets to choose my apparel for the day.

Let's see…Blue silk button up….beige cargo pants…some black boxers and socks…oh, did I pick up groceries yesterday?

I slipped on my shoulder holster, taking care to reload the HK USP. I wish I had something bigger than 9mm, but my contact has trouble getting ammunition for even _that_.

I donned the cotton weave double breasted coat, and headed for the door.

…

My bike was still in pristine condition outside the apartment complex.

I had picked up the Kawasaki from a guy who had a bad rap with the police over speeding violations. He had some beef with his dad finding out and well…$6000 later I was the proud owner of a ZX-12.

Man, just the thought takes me back to when I started this lucrative operation.

After Elizabeth sent me back to the beginning of the year, I quickly had to secure myself an HQ, money, and supplies.

I first located Tanaka, and after some charming negotiations, I landed myself the male-model gig. Having demanded a payment up front, I went into the poorer district to nab a tiny room. I had to go to the communal bathhouses every once in a while to get a decent wash in, but otherwise it was fine. The stove is as much an independent variable in my cooking equation as having a blindfold on, but the meals are edible.

Whoa, is that stall selling cabbage _half price_?

Anyway, now that I had some steady income and a pad to crash, I still needed some clothes, weapons and most importantly…an evoker.

Thankfully enough, I ran into Strega while snooping about the Port Island station alleyways.

No one seemed to want to bother a guy in a ratty coat and hood, coughing heavily. What a great disguise.

Last year's courses concerning rhetoric and psychological function came into play, and I quickly played upon their fascination with the dark hour without letting them know I had any idea what it was. I bought a stolen evoker from Jin two days later, and some foreign cigarettes.

Another fellow I believed to be Yakuza, after a chat, happily _gave _me the pistol. I'm sure he'd done something with it already and was hoping to shift the blame. I didn't care, If I failed my mission I was dead anyway. He seemed impressed by my devil-may-care attitude, and mentioned he would be able to get me anything else I wanted…for a price.

I guess…when I'm willing to die for this better tomorrow, nothing seems to faze me.

…

Then again, like Yukari said before, nothing _does_ faze me.

I stopped by a department store, and later a men's boutique. With a few sets of laundry, I was ready to begin stage one of my master plan.

…

I paid a visit to Elizabeth along the way. Stopping by Chagall Café was a plus too.

Past the violet door in the silent alleyway, my vision swam, and I found myself seated across from my enigmatic friend.

"Greetings." She had a sparkle in her eyes now that I was there.

"Same to you. How have you been these past few days?" I asked good-naturedly.

Her sharp laughter echoed in the room.

"_MOST _excellent, I must admit. I've been getting so much done in the time since I took control of the Velvet room."

I reclined in my chair, and interlaced my fingers.

"Everything's going according to plan?"

"Why yes, have you managed on your own out there?"

"Yes. I'll be lying in wait for the first fragment very soon."

"Splendid, I will see to it that I am ready on my end to circumvent the merging process."

I breathed in a relaxed manner, and closed my eyes.

"We have the odds stacked against us."

Elizabeth's eyes twinkled, and she tilted her head with that blue hat precociously balanced to the side.

"Such is the usual state of things."

I grinned.

"I think I have some fight in me yet."

She matched my smile.

"This time _you_ are the one dealing the cards…I wonder how the game will play out."

"I'm sure we'll manage somehow…" I said as I rose to leave, throwing one last look over my shoulder.

"…my lady."

Elizabeth was delighted by my response, and gazed at me warmly as I strode back into the world.

…

That's essentially how it went. Breaking out of my memories, I slowed to a stop, and disembarked the powerful bike. I finally found it.

The Kirijo residence.

The mansion was straight out of an English countryside, modeled after the Welsh royal design. Sweeping buttresses and limestone and brick handiwork painted an elegant display of the family's prestige.

I sauntered up to the mahogany doors, and knocked.

Moments later the stern visage of Takeharu Kirijo met my deadpan grey eyes.

"Yes?"

"I know about the shadows."

As Mitsuru's father stared at me with his widening eye, I knew things were about to get interesting.


	4. Chapter 4

A whisp of smoke drifted lazily from the end of Takeharu's cigar.

The two of us sat in a moment of silence; I watched the shadows of the ceiling fan rotate in the reflection of the glass coffee table.

The only audible sounds were the click of the clock gears somewhere behind me and the crackle of the lit cigar.

"This changes everything." The one-eyed man said. From the way he intoned it, he wasn't thrilled about it.

I sat up straighter in the couch.

"I've told you what I know. Your next course of action determines whether or not what we can overcome this crisis."

The man's eyebrows furrowed in irritation.

"Dismissing the countermeasures we have been using for years isn't something I will readily embrace."

"Regardless, the situation remains unchanged. The thirteenth arcane will continue to grow in power as the others are defeated, or the shadows will multiply and the lost will grow in number."

Takeharu stabbed the remains of his smoke into an ashtray angrily.

"Damned if we do, damned if we don't."

I sighed and rubbed my temple tiredly.

"I'm not any more enthusiastic about this than you are. The most viable option for us is to draw out the fragments one by one, and seal them away separately."

"You think you can do this, _alone?_"

"I have already sealed the first."

Had I not been watching him intently, I would never have caught the brief twitch of facial muscles that gave away the senior Kirijo's shock.

"Really…"

There was quiet again, all four walls of the room observed us in silence. The paintings and ornate furniture unnervingly still.

"In that case, I think we can come to an agreement."

I nodded gravely and extended my hand, which was shaken in turn by Takeharu.

The two of us stood, and began walking out of the study.

"I can understand if you don't feel SEES is up to the level you are fighting at yet, but keeping them in the dark will only hinder you."

"For now I need them to function as close to the original timeline as possible, otherwise my knowledge of past events means nothing."

"Hn."

"There is also the matter of Ikutsuki."

A dark look passed over Takeharu's face.

"I will have it dealt with."

After a moment he looked back at me.

"Though you will be operating during the Dark Hour, eventually someone is going to notice you're not in school."

That was true. Despite my mission, I was still only a teenager, the same age as Mitsuru and Akihiko.

"I'm afraid I've drawn a blank in that regard," I admit.

"I will have the necessary paperwork drawn up then, you can enrol as a transfer student in the senior year at Gekkoukan."

I smirked wryly.

"I wonder what continuing my education at this point will matter."

I noticed Takeharu had stopped walking, and was staring at me with a strange look in his eye.

He watched me a moment longer, and spoke gravely, "I am no stranger to the survivor's guilt, Arisato. From the very beginning, none of the blame for this calamity was yours."

I could have imagined it, but his eye creased with a sympathetic look.

"Don't give yourself up to death so rashly."

I gazed back at him, my throat dry.

"I just want them all to live happily…" I said thickly.

"So do I." Replied Kirijo.

…

I sat at a table in Chagall Café. The chatter of the patrons around me dulled into a faint murmur as I looked over the file folders given to me earlier.

…

Arisato Hayate

Date of Birth-April 11, 1992

Age-17

Transfer Student 01/03/09 (_see attached file 21FB_)

Height-170 cm

Blood Type-O

Summary-Known family ties to _Arisato Minato_, separated following orphanage incident. No medical history involving medication, or psychological trauma observed from initial tests following the accident (_see attached file YA-1125_).

…

I put the paper aside and scanned over my falsified medical and educational history. The substituted grades I had were slightly lower than what I had originally earned my first time around, but the gratitude I felt for Kirijo helping me outweighed any nuances I had with the details.

Hayate.

I groaned and rubbed my eyes as I lifted a coffee cup to my lips, only to find it empty.

Learning to respond to someone else's name was going to be troublesome. It was bad enough that I had already revealed myself to my younger self, and now had to somehow play off to everyone else we were brothers.

"May I get you a refill, sir?" A rather good looking waitress appeared at my elbow.

"Yes, thank you." I gave her a quick smile as I resumed looking over my papers.

Having been accosted by Takeharu about my motives, I began to wonder what I had really been planning from the get-go.

In all honesty I felt like I was already dead. Against such terrifying odds I seemed to accept that I had to give up my life to save humanity. Now that the senior Kirijo had brought it to my attention, was I really trying to make up for not being as good a leader as I thought I could have been?

I growled in frustration and planted my face in my palm. Analyzing one's _own_ psyche was a nightmare.

I couldn't let my defeatism take hold. I was planning to take on the darkness, and goddamnit, if I'm going to fight, I'm going to fight and WIN. No more Nyx, no more Dark Hour, everyone goes home.

…even me. I thought with one last tap on the file folders.

I've come to accept that the comrades I fought beside aren't the same ones I'll find here at Gekkoukan. People change. Despite that, I will always remember the times I spent, and the times I _will_ spend fighting alongside them from now on.

I sipped the last of my third cup, and neatly gathered up my paperwork.

Minato Arisato sat down at a table in Chagall at 3:44.

Hayate Arisato left that table in Chagall at 3:57.

…

The following day, class went on as it usually did for the homeroom of 3-A.

The seniors chatted happily with one another, amid the warm rays of sun beaming in through the eastern windows.

Mitsuru Kirijo sat straight-backed in her chair, calmly awaiting the professor's arrival.

"Good morning class!"

She laconically opened an eye to see Ms. Ounishi walk in briskly to the classroom.

The teacher began unloading her textbooks and papers from her shoulder bag.

"I'm sorry I'm a little later than usual, but I had been held up at the faculty office. I have some good news for you all however!"

She stood up straighter and brightened up.

"I'm happy to announce we have a new student joining us! Please come in…"

Through the open classroom door, a teenager with cobalt hair covering his left eye stepped in. He wore the standard Gekkoukan boys uniform, with a western tie in place of a ribbon.

He looked over the class once, and smiled.

"Nice to meet you."

If any of the students had not been admiring the handsome youth standing at the front, they would have been witness to the ruby-haired Kirijo's rather undignified expression of shock.

…

"Who are you?!"

The surrounding students in the hallway were taken aback by the sight of Mitsuru cornering the new student against a locker.

He grinned cheekily.

"Arisato Hayate, pleased to meet you."

Her eyebrow twitched dangerously.

"Don't give me that! What is your relation to Minato Arisato?"

A look of concentration passed over the blue-haired boy's features, and then her responded in a more professional tone.

"I'm his brother. We were separated after the accident that killed our parents."

"That's strange, he told me he didn't have any relatives."

Mitsuru had the look of a cat that has just cornered her mouse, but Hayate wasn't fazed.

"We've never spoken very much."

A silence descended between the two, and a look of warring emotions was clearly visible on Kirijo's face.

The blue-haired youth leaned closer.

"I'm not your enemy," He whispered, "I'll tell you my secrets when the time comes, but for now, please trust me. I won't let any harm come to SEES."

The redhead's eyes widened at the implication of the stranger's knowledge of SEES.

No one knew about that outside the members and the Kirijo group.

He smiled, and began walking down the hallway again, amid the baffled stares of the nearby students.

Mitsuru watched him walk away.

…


	5. Chapter 5

"I don't sense very many shadows on this floor. Continue."

Mitsuru's voice crackled out on the open band radio. The members of Minato, Yukari and Junpei continued their ascent of the Tartaurus block, steadfastly overcoming the shadows as they came at them in greater and stronger varieties.

Junpei swiped his katana towards the floor to clear some of the gooey black ichor from it's polished surface.

"Damn, these things just keep coming!"

"I know," Yukari spoke her mind as she tightened the cam on her bow, "Sometimes I'm really worried about our survival up here."

"Ah don't sweat it! With me around there's no way some shadow's gonna get ya, Yuka-tan!"

"Stupei!"

Minato ignored his team's brief spat as he rifled through his pack, checking the bandages and medicine they had left. Injuries were fairly common, and were it not for dia speeding up the recovery process, the bruises and cuts would be a lot more visible at school.

As the three high-schoolers continued to go about their brief respite in the safety of the stairwell, a loud explosion sounded from the upper level.

"Wh-what the hell was _that?_" Junpei was instantly on his feet again, his sword in hand.

"It came from the floor above you! Proceed with caution!" Mitsuru warned in her commanding tone.

The three began ascending the steps with weapons drawn, wary of ambush.

…

The walls were blackened, and the thick stench of burnt things permeated the air.

Yukari held a kerchief over her face as she peered through the mess.

"I don't see much up her sempai…_Cough! Cough! ..._I think it was a zio skill, though."

Minato examined the walls with a curious eye.

"The pattern of burn marks looks like it."

Junpei felt a little left out of the investigation, and attempted to add his own two cents, though after seeing nothing of note, resolved to stand there with a sour look on his face, arms crossed.

"Was it a shadow?" Yukari thought aloud.

"Nope."

The three teenagers flinched at the unexpected human voice, and looked toward the lip of an adjacent corridor.

From around the wall emerged the blue-haired stranger from the night at the monorail. He raised a hand as a wave.

"Yo."

"Heeeey! Sempai!" Junpei seemed to be excited suddenly, lowering his katana from a guard stance, "What are you doing here?"

"Just running some errands."

The radio crackled violently.

"Who is that! Hayate? What's he doing there?!" Mitsuru's voice was equal parts concern, accusation, threatening and surprised.

"Huh, I guess miss Kirijo still doesn't trust me…" Said the stranger with a wry grin.

"You know each other?" Yukari awkwardly held her bow over her chest.

"We're in the same class at school. Oh, I haven't introduced myself yet, have I?" Added the guy with raised finger.

He bowed shortly, the cobalt hair flitting across his features that mirrored the younger counterpart's across from him.

"Arisato Hayate, pleased to meet you."

Minato looked at him with dry curiosity in his grey eyes. Hayate shrugged.

Yukari looked between the two.

"Y-You guys are brothers?"

"Apparently," came the simultaneous response.

The older Arisato sighed tiredly and scratched the back of his neck.

"You guys wouldn't happen to have an umbrella, would you?"

Cue 'are you crazy' expressions. "What?" "What?" "Huh?"

He shook his head, "It's a request from Elizabeth…"

"Oh…" Minato nodded thoughtfully.

"I thought it was worth a shot…now I have to go buy one in town tomorrow…"

Yukari looked like they were speaking in Russian.

"What are you two talking about?"

The blue brothers quietly dismissed the question.

"Don't worry about it."

"Hey, have you guys found Fuuka yet?"

"2-E's missing girl?"

"Get on that case, It's going to be part of the next full moon thing."

"Ah."

"You heading up or down? I'm finished for the night, so…"

Minato shook his head.

"No, we're good."

"Okay. Not running low on anything? Alright. Later."

Hayate raised his hand in a two finger salute, and promptly disappeared in a torrent of green energy.

"W-woah!" Junpei's eyes were wide. "THAT was a Trafuri?"

Yukari looked angrily at Minato for an explanation, but the leader merely donned his blank expression once more and forged ahead.

…

The green shower of light appearing directly beside her motorcycle was enough to send the redheaded-kirijo tumbling onto her backside with a shocked yelp.

In the newly settled silence, Hayate stared at her lying on the ground.

"Aww," he grinned cheekily, "I didn't mean to scare you, Mitsu-chan."

That pet name was immediately added to the senior Arisato's list of _things that must never happen again_ as a rapier brandishing harpy descended on his unarmed self.

…

Elizabeth looked up from her business with the compendium.

"Welcome bac…oh my, are you alright?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

Hayate eased himself into the chair, nursing a rather painful gash on the arm.

"A woman scorned indeed…" He muttered.

"Ah, so that's the case." There was a knowing twinkle in her eye that he didn't much like.

"In any case, I brought you the sword."

Hayate handed over a rare katana from the second block, and Elizabeth examined it thoughtfully.

"If you don't mind me asking…" He said, "Why did you want me to bring this to you again?"

"Not at all!" She replied cheerily.

…

…

…

"…So?" He inclined his head.

"Oh, there isn't any reason, actually!" Elizabeth wantonly threw the weapon into a pile of odds and ends nearby, and continued to write in the large text.

Hayate stared at her incredulously, before coming to terms with the utter nonsense of it all.

"Who cares…"

…

Takeharu Kirijo walked briskly down the ill-lit corridor, flanked by two of his more trusted bodyguards. The clatter of leather shoe soles echoed down the narrow space, the clouded pastel of the concrete stone drawn with shadows cast between the lights overhead.

As they approached the door, it drew aside automatically.

"M-Mr. Kirijo! We weren't aware you would be inspecting the station today…" One of the researchers rose awkwardly from his console and seemed to be doing his best to block the screen.

All around the room, close to a dozen scientists rose from their work. A number of computer monitors were hooked up, as were other devices and a series of tanks in the centre of the room.

Ikutsuki was among them.

"What a pleasant surprise," remarked the man in a tone that was anything but, "I wasn't aware you were coming tonight, Kirijo-san."

Takeharu's stony visage swept the room.

"May I ask what you are doing here?" The tone was twice as frigid as what his daughter was capable of.

"Well you see…we've been reviewing the test results from the 1999 accidents and-"

"For 10 years?"

"Urm..yes…well, the data has been fragmented, and our understanding of the-"

"Your understanding," ground out Takeharu, "Was that never again was an experiment of these parameters to be undertaken."

Ikutsuki raised his hands in mock surrender.

"Now now, sir, we've clearly been careful in regards to-"

"And yet…" Said the senior Kirijo as he moved towards the observation deck, his men in tow, "Here I witness you countermand my orders."

Within the shielded glass of the testing chambers, writhed a mass of black tentacles. In the centre of the monstrosity was a tainted blue mask.

Takeharu gazed at the creature behind the glass, silently. His eyes betrayed none of his inner thoughts. Whatever explanation Ikutsuki had been giving at that time was not heard.

In a way he was dismayed to find out the cobalt-haired time traveler had been telling the truth. It would have been so much easier to put faith into the course of action they had taken for years without consequence.

However, thought the man as the reflections of the twisting monster played across the glass in front of him, Takeharu Kirijo was nothing, if not a man of undying conviction.

This catastrophe was one he himself had helped bring into the world, and threatened his little girl.

Takeharu turned abruptly, and drew his pistol.

"_In nominee patri_…"

The bodyguards mirrored his action.

"_Et filli_…"

The clicks of the hammers on all three handguns sounded off.

"_Spiritu sancti_."

The bark of the combined fire filled the room as the team of researchers was quickly reduced in a series of well-placed shots.

Ikutsuki coughed as he collapsed against a console, his face frozen in a rictus of delirious rapture.

"Y-you wont…stop it…you know…"

Takeharu stared at him down the barrel of the .45

Shuji Ikutsuki coughed red, and then smiled with thinly veiled madness.

"Nyx will come…regardless…"

The report of the pistol sounded once more, and Ikutsuki slumped over lifelessly.

There was silence as the bodyguards began shutting down the electronics professionally.

Kirijo watched the shadow suffocate and die in the glass enclosure.

It was a few hours before the facility was cleaned up and sealed off by the company.


	6. Chapter 6

It was the night of the Fuuka Yamagishi retrieval.

Akihiko, Minato, Yukari and Junpei had gone ahead into Tartaurus through the school. Due to the unnatural way they entered the tower the members were separated, and communication was becoming difficult.

Mitsuru moved her fingers nimbly over the transceiver she had brought on her motorcycle.

"I'm still not able to get a clear signal!" She ground her teeth in frustration, and flicked her hair out of her eyes with a toss of the head.

"No luck, sempai?" Yukari was feeling more than a little left out, having been stuck with Mitsuru in a support capacity.

"No."

Silence for a few more minutes.

Mitsuru's thoughts wandered as she continued to chase an elusive signal.

She thought of the cobalt-haired Hayate, and wondered what he meant by his last words to them.

"_Get on that case, It's going to be part of the next full moon thing."_

Kirijo was a woman who needed to be in control of her situation. The fact that a complete stranger suddenly appears on the scene with a substantial knowledge of something NO ONE should have, was very disturbing to her.

Her eyes narrowed a fraction lower, eyelashes dipping as she blinked slowly.

She had established that Minato had no knowledge of this man before a week ago. Suddenly, he seems to have an unspoken agreement, no…more like an easiness, around him.

Granted, the resemblance was striking; too acute to be anything but familial…but still…

She let out the breath she'd been holding. The frequency was lost again.

He clearly possessed persona stronger than that of herself and Akihiko at their prime. What she could place was his _motives_. He seemed to know things long before any of them were aware of it. He always appeared shortly after they fought one of the large shadows, and they often passed him crossing Tartaurus at some interval, looking for strange things, it seemed.

He also seemed to visit that spot to the left of the entrance, like Minato did. She still didn't grasp the significance of their going about that area…

Regardless, Hayate appeared to have a vested interest in the success of SEES, going so far as to give them supplies if he caught them running low, or using a trafuri to bring them back to an exit if they were feeling tired.

While she welcomed his assistance, it was the unanswered questions about who he was, and how he came to know what he did, that drove her up the wall.

Mitsuru sighed.

"Takeba, do you think-"

Yukari screamed suddenly.

If it was not for her immediate pirouette into a fencing stance, the Empress' sword thrust would have taken off her head.

"Penthesilea!"

Mitusuru's persona materialized with a well-timed bufula. The shadow recoiled and gave her a little more breathing room.

Despite that, the accompanying Emperor dealt a blow that crushed her motorcycle, and flung her across the floor.

The redheaded Kirijo coughed a spot of blood, and dizzily turned to face her enemy.

From her prone position on the floor, she could see Yukari struggling to rise in the corner of her vision.

The emperor reached out an armored hand towards her, and she desperately tried to shy away.

BANG

…

When she opened her eyes, she saw him standing there.

The black coat billowed out behind him from the force of the Garu skill. The scabbard of his longsword adjacent to his long legs, positioned protectively in front of her in Quarte.

As her eyes traveled over the metallic gleam running down the evoker placed to his temple, and his long blue hair catching the breeze, Mitsuru recognized the stance she had seen herself countless times before.

It wasn't any one of the nuances of his posture that gave him away, but rather witnessing him move naturally that gave her the spark of insight she had been searching for.

Somehow, this man was Minato Arisato.

…

Hayate cast a quick Media over both of the girls before choosing to wait for the others to arrive.

"Mitsuru!" "Yukari!"

The boys returned with Fuuka in tow. Akihiko immediately went to the redhead, while Minato went to help up the brunette.

"Oh man, they look _pissed!_" Junpei gripped his katana nervously, looking between the two shadows.

Hayate started to walk back slowly, witnessing the events fold out quietly. With the overwhelming presence of the two boss shadows, and Natsumi's appearance at the door, no one paid him particular attention after having saved the two.

Except for Mitsuru's piercing gaze following him out the door.

…

Back at the SEES headquarters, the team collectively breathed a sigh of relief having come out alive.

"I haven't had a good workout like that in a while…" Akihiko rolled his shoulders. He sat on the far end of a couch and put his gear beside him.

Mitsuru and Yukari joined him. The two girls helped Fuuka lay down on the loveseat, promising to take her to the Kirijo-run hospital in a few hours.

Natsumi was taken back to her spare bedroom.

"I'm just glad we're all still breathing…" Yukari sighed and ran a trembling hand through her bronze tresses.

The sounds of equipment being taken off and conversation bubbled about the members.

"Uhm…" Fuuka spoke up timidly from her position resting on the couch.

"What happened to that blue-haired person?"

The students began looking about their number.

"H-hey, did he just ditch us back there?!" Suddenly Junpei was less than thrilled about their mysterious sempai.

"No."

"OHMIGOD!"

Iori must have jumped two feet high out of shock. Standing behind him was the sempai in question.

"Man, lay off the ninja skills!" Junpei said uneasily.

"Hm."

Minato looked up through his cobalt fringe at the older image of himself. The two shared a nod, and then Hayate addressed the other members of SEES.

"Some of you have already met me, but for those who haven't…"

He gave a brief two finger salute.

"Hayate Arisato, at your service."

Akihiko stared at him.

"You're Minato's…?"

The team leader answered for him.

"Brother. We were separated after the 1999 accident."

"Oh."

The grey-eyed younger Arisato looked back at his counterpart.

"Is something wrong?"

Hayate looked a little nervous.

"Actually, yes. I've been looking for this shadow fragment after you defeated the Emperor and Empress. There should have been two; I killed one, but the other…" He shrugged.

Suddenly there was a loud crunch of broken masonry and a piercing roar.

The older Arisato's face paled.

"Fuck."

…

The taller blue haired brother crashed out of the roof's exit door, followed closely by the others.

The green sky of the Dark Hour still reigned, and silhouetted against the pale moon was a black carapace of claws and broken wings.

"W-w-w…." Junpei's speech failed to communicate his take on the situation.

Akihiko cursed and fingered his evoker nervously.

Minato's eyes darted about the surroundings, trying to come up with some sort of strategy against this monster.

"No…" Fuuka was leaning against the doorframe for support.

"It…it's the death arcane…and it has no weaknesses!"

Hayate took a few steps foreward. The other teenager shouted for him to stop, but he made no sign he heard them.

Then Mitsuru watched a single man kill death itself.


	7. Chapter 7

There was no warning, just a loud metallic bang.

The shards of dreamscape fluttered and spun about the taller Arisato, shining blue as his persona came into being. Daisoujou, the undead preist came into being. He raised a bony wrist and banished it towards the black mass with a powerful Samsara.

Light erupted on the rooftop of the SEES dormitory. The initial attack seared through the beast's outer defences, but did nothing in the way of totally destroying it; the thing was simply too large.

Hayate grit his teeth, the angular contour of his face warped into a scowl as he quickly tried to formulate an attack plan on short notice.

The monster's rebuttle had him swear briefly before changing personae to absorb what would have otherwise been a fatal strike.

"Stay behind me and lock the door!" He shouted to the teenagers behind him.

Mitsuru shook herself out of a daze and barked orders, "Don't just stand there! Takeba! You take Yamagishi inside, and get the computer running an alternate scan."

"R-right!" The girl steeled herself and tugged Fuuka along with her bow drawn protectively.

"The rest of you!" She spun about with her rapier shining, "Take cover inside, you'll be the second line of defence."

"Hey!" Junpei began to argue.

"Stow it, we're in no shape for a fight this size," Akihiko drawled as he backed towards the door.

Minato tapped Iori on the shoulder and the two followed suit, their stamina would be able to take on this shadow so soon after fighting the two before it.

As Hayate countered an Agi attack with his resistance, Mitsuru stepped up beside him.

"What the hell are you doing here? I said get inside!" Hayate snarled as he struggled to push back the onslaught solo.

A swift and deadly deluge of bufu ice crunched into the encroaching tentacles. Cold wind whipped furiously in the aftermath as the twisted stumps and remains pulled back in a frozen rictus.

Mitsuru's expression was of a similar nature as she regarded Arisato with a deathly stare.

"Do not," She spoke quietly, "Ever presume to order me about again, Minato."

'Hayate's eyes widened in dread, before he swallowed thickly.

The two turned as one to face the enemy.

The noise had finally stopped. All that could be heard in the unlit fourth floor of the dormitory was the rustle of fabric as the teenagers shifted, and the metallic clink of weapons held at the ready.

"Do you think…?" Yukari whispered.

Akihiko looked back at her with a smothering glare.

"Not a chance."

"…No, of course not."

The door began to creak open, and all those in attendance hissed in surprise.

"It's finished."

Mitsuru grandly flourished her rapier back into her scabbard, amid the cheers and congratulations of the others.

"Sempai! Are you hurt anywhere?"

"Oh man, talk about tense. I was just about ready to…"

"I've heard enough."

"Sure you're okay?"

As the close-knit group celebrated their respite, Hayate hung back, nervous for the first time in memory.

"Arisato."

He stiffened instinctively as she addressed him.

The imperious redhead flicked her curls to the side as she stared at him evenly.

"Meet me in my room, I want to speak to you."

The silence was palpable as she stalked downstairs with her long-legged strides.

"Ooooooooohhhhh!" Junpei elbowed Akihiko beside him, "Someone's in deep shit."

All the tension and worry from the night melted away with their good natured laughter. Even Yamagishi, tired as she was after her taxing ordeal, managed a giggle.

Minato shrugged his shoulders with a smirk as he looked at his dejected counterpart.

Hayate groaned.

How do I get away with THIS one?

Her room was just the way he remembered it.

The only other kind of person who he could relate to at this time would be a divorced husband waiting to hear the verdict on custody from the missus.

Though the poor sod in that case wasn't in as much danger of having his testicles removed.

"Have a seat."

Hayate briefly considered opting to stand just to spite her bossy nature, but he quickly quashed those thoughts as childish. He sat down warily on the cream coloured couch across the empress.

"So…" Mitsuru continued to stare at him.

"…"

"…"

"…What exactly?"

"You are Minato Arisato." Mitsuru said flatly.

"Guh…"

He screwed his eyes shut and rubbed at the corners blearily.

"Yes, congratulations, what astounds me is how you came to such an outlandish conclusion."

"That doesn't make it any less right."

"You know something? This attitude of yours is maddening really."

Her eyes flashed dangerously.

"You better be careful Arisato."

He leaned forward, placing his palms onto the table between them.

"Or what?" He hissed rebelliously.

Mitsuru leaned forward in tandem, slowly mirroring the taller Arisato's position, her face an inch away.

"You would do well never to find out." She whispered with anger lacing her words.

It could have been the stress of the life/death combat that had been raging in the Dark Hour, or the emotional rollercoaster that they had been riding what with Fuuka's rescue and the subsequent ambush, followed by another.

All that really had been made clear was that Arisato somehow found Miss Kirijo irresistible when she was angry.

"Fortune favours the brave." He muttered.

Then their lips came crashing together.

Hands groped furiously at each other as they fought overtop of the coffee table.

Mitsuru made equal noises protest and pleasure as the kissed roughly. The smell of blood sweat and her feminine perfume filled the air, driving Arisato on as he held her fast against himself.

After a respite Mitsuru's struggle ceased and she returned the kiss with tentative movements of her tongue.

The two continued their tenderness until at last being forced to take a breath. At this point Mitsuru's eyes opened wide and she violently pushed the cobalt haired youth away.

SLAP

She shuddered at the sight of him turn his head from her palm. Then she slapped him again.

The redhead stood shakily in the silence that followed. She tucked her hair behind an ear and crossed her arms, still breathing heavily.

Minato remained in his kneeling posture, arms limp beside his body.

"…I'm sorry." He said gently, his voice thick.

Mitsuru made as if to reply, but then thought better of it. Arisato stood up and quietly walked out of the room, closing the door as he left.

Before he disappeared, Miss Kirijo made as if to reach out to him, but let her arm fall limply at her side.

That night she lay in bed awake, tracing her red lips with her thumb; Lost in thought.


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note: I'M NOT DEAD! Three cheers and then some. I will be updating as often as possible. I have to crack down on my last month of studies, but I will still have time to churn out a good chapter every other day or so. PM me if I'm being a lazy asshole.

Also, If you have any opinion on the characters in the story, or want to see some particulars in the next chapters give me a shout, and I'll be sure to take your suggestions to heart.

Hayate sat in his apartment with his head in his hands.

"Okay, in the history of misdemeanors and wrongdoing I suppose that wasn't very high on the list, but for god's sake man, what were you thinking?"

He let out a shaky breath and stripped off his shirt. His pants followed soon after and he stepped naked into the lukewarm shower. The water ran down his skin, as he stood there lifelessly. Steam filled the enclosure of cheap Plexiglas panels; Beading droplets of condensation on the surface.

He breathed in deeply through his nose, cobalt hair hanging wetly past his chin.

"What am I doing?" He mused aloud.

"I don't know, what are you doing?"

Hayate screamed and brought his fist smashing through the shower stall at the person who had snuck into his home. The figure leapt nimbly out of the way and giggled as he thrashed about in panic.

"Oh my," intoned Elizabeth in her dulcet voice, "You're much more developed than I remember."

"What the hell? WHAT THE HELL?" Hayate stared up at her amid the broken plastic, running water spilling over the floor and his bloody hand held tightly to stem the flow.

"I apologize, I meant only to give you a little surprise." She winked and stepped out toward the living room.

"I'll leave you to get dressed…though you don't have to, I wouldn't mind."

Arisato stared in disbelief at her retreating back.

After wrapping his hand in gauze and throwing on a white shirt with jeans, Hayate ran his hand through his still-damp locks before sitting down across from Elizabeth on the floor.

"So what have you come here for, if you don't mind me asking?"

She cocked her head, "This is awfully courteous of you after that episode."

He deadpanned, "I'm trying to maintain a semblance of normalcy. Please forgive me if I haven't given in to the madness yet."

She giggled.

"Well, there's always time for that later."

"May I get you something? Tea? Milk?"

"Oh no thank you, I'll be fine."

"Very well."

The elevator attendant smoothed her skirt and folded her hands together.

"As I understand it you've had some trouble with that last shadow fragment."

"Yes, I was caught off guard; I had to improvise."

"And you've done so wonderfully. Our machinations are coming along with reasonable success, I don't foresee any difficulties in the near future."

Hayate was silent for a moment.

"There is one thing. Two actually."

"Hm?"

He locked eyes with her.

"Miss Kirijo has figured out my secret."

For a moment genuine surprise reflected itself upon Elizabeth's porcelain features.

"Oh dear, how did she manage to deduce that? I hadn't thought you gave anything away…"

"I look like a carbon copy of my younger self. All she had to do was watch my mannerisms closely to figure it out. No brothers look or act as closely as we do."

"I see. What do you plan to do?"

Arisato laid back on the floor and stared at the ceiling, checkered with faded tiles and watermarks.

"Honestly? Nothing. I didn't want to tell them because it's too outlandish a story to believe, but if she knows then I'll leave it at that. I shouldn't have confronted them to begin with."

"Ah, but that would have made our operation so much the harder, let alone suspicious had you been spotted."

"Would have, should have…"

Elizabeth brought her knees up to her chest and regarded him with a passive smile.

"So?"

"Mmm…I'll tell her everything tomorrow, and then I won't have to tiptoe around either leader. Once the last shadow fragments of the thirteenth are destroyed we can safely eliminate the remaining arcane shadows, and the dark hour."

There was a silence, and he looked up curiously at the blue-clothed attendant.

"…"

"There's something you're not telling me."

She regarded him with wide innocent eyes that would have fooled anyone had she not been smiling merrily.

"Whatever gave you that idea?"

His eyebrows flattened as he stared with reproach.

She chuckled and rocked back and forth gaily, "Very well. Though the arcane shadows may be destroyed, they were after all harvested from existing masses by the Kirijo group. The dark hour will disappear from this reigon, but someday it will return when the shadows grow in number."

Hayate stared further.

"I'm not going to have to nail myself to a seal again, am I?"

"No, of course not."

She smiled at him fondly.

"And if you should do so again I would still come to your rescue."

Hayate smiled in spite of himself.

"That you did. Thank you."

Elizabeth's cheeks coloured and she raised her hands to shield her face.

"Oh stop it you charming creature!"

Hayate laughed and rose to his feet. He sat down beside her, ruffling her hair and kissing her fondly on the cheek. The elevator attendant leaned into his side and sighed.

"She's very lucky you know."

"Hm?"

"The woman who's captured your heart."

She looked up at his face inches from her own.

"It's lonely now, minding the velvet room. I had never felt it to be so, but after meeting you I found myself struck by a sense of melancholy; Wishing for things to be as they were before."

Arisato said nothing.

"I suppose that is part of being human. I finally understand what it means, that phrase you told me so long ago. It is better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all."

Arisato tightened his grip around her shoulders.

She smiled sadly and blinked away fat tears.

"You can't make everyone happy, Minato. But you tried, and for that I'm glad."

She reluctantly extracted herself from his hug and dusted off.

"I better return to my post, there's much work to be done."

He watched her walk towards the exit before turning back.

"I'll never forget you; Please don't forget me either."

And like a shy schoolgirl she abruptly slipped through the open door, gone from sight.

Minato 'Hayate' Arisato rubbed at his eyes before turning in to bed.

The next day at Gekkoukan High School found Mitsuru Kirijo waiting expectantly at the front gates for someone to show up.

This in and of itself was an uncommon occurrence enough to draw the attention of the student community, and when the usual reason proved not to be Sanada-sempai as they exchanged 'good mornings' and passed each other, warranted interest for the gossip centre of the student body.

The fact that Mitsuru didn't bother with such trivialities left her out of the loop, so to speak; Though Yukari would no doubt be informed before second period.

"Well hello."

Calm and collected, Hayate strolled up to the entrance to the school, his posture mirroring his younger counterpart's to the letter.

Sans mp3 player, of course.

Mitsuru's elegant features tightened into a look of cross annoyance, "I don't suppose you'd like to explain your behavior last night?"

Hayate winced as the students in the immediate vicinity broke into scandalized whispers. Kirijo-sempai coloured and covered her mouth.

"Well, you brought that one on yourself." He shifted from one foot to the other, "In all honesty, I apologize for my forwardness. I shouldn't have pushed myself on you, I was out of line."

"Hm."

"Knowing that I've besmirched your honor, I feel that I should make it up to you, and I say this without a shadow of cruel intentions." He inclined his head, and the redhead nodded for him to continue.

"Will you accompany me out sometime this week that I may make good my apology?"

The Kirijo heir looked at him searchingly for a long moment.

"I am not an easy woman, Arisato. I expect you to act with a sense of decorum."

"You have my word."

She smiled then, and some small voice in the back of Hayate's mind screamed the age old warning that all men hear when they have blundered into a trap of the feminine wiles.

"I will hold you to that."

She turned briskly on a dime and marched towards the school.

"Come then, we'll be late for class."

As Hayate began to follow her, he realized that despite his knowledge of the past events, and his staggering combat aptitude, Mitsuru was still his equal.

It was a sobering thought, and the taller Arisato mentally vowed to banish his rude assumptions of superiority that he had unknowingly adopted since travelling through time.

Now if only he could remember today's reading…

The day flew by as the blue-haired senior studied and answered the subjects of his classes. Minutes ticked by on a dusty analog clock, punctuated be droning voices of instructors and pencil scratching.

At lunch time Hayate stretched his arms behind his head as he extended his body like a cat.

*crick* *crack*

"That's disgusting."

"No this is disgusting."

*CRIIICK!*

"Ugh!"

Mitsuru-sempai rose from her desk as she finished packing her books and stomped out of the classroom, Hayate's laughter following shortly before the boy himself.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to tease you."

"You seem to apologize a lot."

"I know. Speaking of something else entirely…"

The two students stood still out of the way of the crowds moving to and from the cafeteria.

"Would you perhaps be free tonight?"

Mitsuru was taken aback.

"I…I suppose I might, though you're being very forward."

"True, though there is a respite for both of us before the Tartaurus exploration resumes."

"Well…In that case I suppose I will join you tonight; but I expect you to answer my questions in full!"

"Of course," Hayate acknowledged.

He held the door to the cafeteria open for her, and she smiled primly before stepping lightly through. Arisato resisted the urge to eye up her rear.

These hormones will be the death of me.


	9. Chapter 9

Staring at himself in the mirror, Hayate thought he had done a very good job of tidying up.

The Khakis and navy collared shirt went well with the casual blazer. He had to forgo his usual fitted attire tastes for something a bit more loose on his frame, both for aesthetic reasons and to cover up the handgun when he was in public.

Tonight he elected not to wear it though.

Arisato took several deep breaths and looked at himself long and hard.

He had to come clean tonight. His explanation to Mitsuru would result in either the success of his mission or a complete mess of things as SEES tried to intervene.

_Of course you don't have any ulterior motives going on here…_

Hayate began pacing about the room.

He couldn't deny that Mitsuru was a beautiful woman. Before he had never felt that they would truly work out as a couple in the long run, but his attraction for her urged him otherwise.

The blue-haired youth laid back against the wall and slid down into a sitting position, his head in his hands.

He had dated a dozen girls before the sealing. Now he was in a future where none of them would remember it. Chihiro, Fuuka, Yukari, Yuko…

…and Aigis.

He'd honestly loved the adorable cyborg girl. He fondly remembered taking her out on her first date, showing her what it was like to be human…

…and now all of that was gone. Though she would still be Aigis in this time she wasn't _his_ Aigis anymore. He'd never be able to recapture that special relationship.

He smiled in spite of his depression. Technically 'Minato' would end up with the cute blonde again. He only hoped that he could secure a future for his younger self. Honestly, it was a nightmare trying to differentiate between the past and future versions of Minato Arisato.

Grammar was not designed to accommodate two of the same speaker.

His thoughts drifted to Elizabeth. Had it been possible, they might have ended up a couple. However, with her place in the 'other' world he could never fully join her. It was a heartbreaking tragedy, but he vowed to keep the lonely girl company when he could. Maybe someday he could find a way to give her some measure of happiness as well.

For now he wrestled with his feelings about Mitsuru Kirijo. Was it right for him to be attracted to her, despite having loved another before? Were his feelings genuine? Or had he been unable to move on and was merely seeking comfort in another's arms?

Hayate banged his head against the wall in frustration.

"You bastard…" He croaked.

"You just couldn't leave well enough alone."

He's arrived twenty minutes early. It was for as much a break from his dreary train of thought as to be sure to meet his company on time. You couldn't always count on the Japanese rail system.

There was a slight chill in the air as the sky darkened from baby blue to slate grey. In a few hours the red and gold watercolour of sunset would cover the roof of the world.

Hayate wasn't fond of sunsets. They felt like the end to him; the closure of the day that could never be undone. It didn't seem to be a sentiment shared by many.

Perhaps only those who regret.

He brushed his theorem aside and scanned the crowd again, leaning against the lip of the fountain in Port Island Station. The sound of the flower shop selling their wares drifted over the chatter of pedestrians.

Arisato looked thoughtfully at the bushels of roses before walking over for a quick purchase.

When he returned he found Mitsuru waiting for him.

She was wearing her white tank-top and hip hugging black pants. The black riding coat she wore from her equestrian club was slung about her shoulders to ward off the chill of the evening. A minor amount of makeup was tastefully applied to her stunning features.

She looked _good._

Hayate coughed into his hand and strode forward confidently, meeting her gaze.

"Glad you could make it."

He offered her the rose and she accepted with a genuine smile.

"I love roses, how very thoughtful."

He watched her inhale it's fragrance before tucking it into her purse, jutting out slightly above the lip.

"Shall we?" Arisato extended his hand in invitation, to which Mitsuru chose after a pause to accept.

The two walked arm in arm to their destination for that evening.

"Un Claire de la Luna" was a relatively new restaurant that had opened a few years prior. In keeping with the French named community roads the owner had elected to feature authentic French cooking and décor for the couples that made up the majority of their patrons.

The soothing melody of a stringed quartet played in the background, dim lighting that was generous to all sitting about the floor. White tablecloth, immaculate silverware and rustic menus in dual languages offered a pleasant atmosphere.

"I'm impressed Arisato, I didn't know what to expect tonight."

Kirijo tipped her glass back as she eyed him appraisingly.

"I may have to rethink my opinion of you yet." She quipped playfully.

Hayate adopted an expression of mock hurt and leaned back.

A few minutes of idle chat past by as the two discussed their classes, the news and other unimportant details of the day.

The waiter arrived soon afterwards with their food, small portions that were artfully displayed on the porcelain plates.

They passed the next few minutes in silence as they ate, sparing the odd comment about the food.

At last they cleared their plates away and thanked the waiter as they were removed from the table. After listening to the sonata playing in the antechamber, the two teenagers turned back towards each other.

"To business?"

"To business."

Mitsuru composed herself and looked Hayate straight in the eye.

"How is it possible that you are Minato Arisato, when the very same boy is living in our dormitory?"

"Do you remember what the nature of your grandfather's work was? The goal?"

"To create a time-manipulation device? What of it?"

"That is in theory what I have accomplished."

The redhead leaned forward, "Do tell."

The azure headed boy swirled his drink as he stared into the bubbles inside.

"I had already lived through all this. As Minato I came to the dorm, was initiated into SEES and fought beside you all as we overcame the shadows. In essence, I know the future."

He took a sip and continued.

"During the course of our struggle, several tragic events occurred that I hope to reverse. In particular, our entire mission was sabotaged from the get-go by the chairman."

"Ikutsuki? He's been our staunchest supporter!"

"He's dead."

Mitsuru's face slackened with the abrupt proclamation.

"H-How?"

Hayate closed his eyes.

"I have already related my story to your father. I've been working with him to avoid the coming crisis."

He looked up and addressed Kirijo with steel in his voice.

"Ikutsuki was one of the original researchers during the shadow outbreak. He became obsessed with the 'end' and sought to use us to speed it along. In the original timeline it worked…he tricked us all…"

"…and killed your father."

For a moment he wished he hadn't told her such a thing by the look of hurt in her eyes, but it was important that she understand the stakes in this venture.

"As it stands Takeharu executed the scientists assisting Ikutsuki in his plot a week ago. He's fine, just call him tonight if you feel the need."

Mitsuru nodded and swallowed thickly.

"Moving on, after the events of the previous timeline, I had found a way to come back in time by one year using the same principles your grandfather sought to discern. I'm afraid I won't be able to replicate the process however, this is a one-time thing."

Hayate drained his glass and set it down on the table, condensation forming a wet ring about the base.

"My role in this time is to destroy those powerful shadow fragments that appear after an arcane shadow is defeated by you."

"And just what are these fragments?" Mitsuru queried.

"The thirteenth arcane. The result of the Kirijo laboratories collecting the shadows in one place. The one that should never have come to pass."

"Death."

"Yes."

The Kirijo heir shook her head in confusion, "I don't understand, where are these fragments coming from? We cannot detect them before they make their move."

Hayate's features softened.

"They're coming from inside my younger self."

"What?" Mitsuru stared at him in disbelief.

"That isn't really something I should tell. The person who was there will offer that explanation when she wakes up."

"Who?"

"You'll see." Hayate said with a smile.

The redhead's features scowled cutely before she crossed her arms in annoyance.

"You're still being awfully secretive."

"I apolog-never mind. I do what I have to."

Hayate left the correct number of bills on the table and rose with Mitsuru.

"Well then, that concludes my explanation I believe. Now why don't we continue our date?"

Kirijo-sempai smirked wryly, "Why Arisato-san, I do believe your intentions were not platonic after all."

The cobalt-haired boy took her hand in his and kissed the back before winking roguishly at her blush.

"I'm afraid that I simply enjoy your company too much, Kirijo-san."

She regarded him quietly for a moment before smiling warmly.

"Call me Mitsuru."


	10. Chapter 10

Fuuka Yamagishi never had very many friends before.

She'd been timid most of her life, partly through the overbearing pressure from her parents, partly through the awkward manner teenagers go through in their adolescence.

She wasn't very good at staring up a conversation, and used to fidget and stand about in an uneasy way when trying to fit in with the cliques.

The other girls must have spotted her weaknesses right away; almost as soon as she entered high school she'd been bullied and picked on by the more popular girls.

Fuuka would stare at the blackboard and pretend she couldn't hear them make fun of her. At least that way it wouldn't hurt so much if the didn't know how much it hurt.

Being locked in the gym was the worst thing she could remember happening to her. She screamed and beat at the doors, but no one could hear her after the laughing seniors left.

The darkness was the worst. The power to the gymnasium was shut off after-hours, so Yamagishi lay curled in the corner of the cold dark building waiting for morning to come, her eyes red and her throat hoarse.

When her spirits were at an all time low, things took a turn for the worse.

Midnight struck, and the building morphed into a hellish nightmare. The walls expanded and contracted violently, colours in every negative and shade flowed through the stone and metal like pulsing blood. She cried and cried, but no one could hear her…

Then they came.

In the same fashion she could somehow feel where the 'monsters' were, she felt the presence of other people in the tower.

She'd tiptoed along the strange walls, making herself as small and silent as possible. Peering about the corner, she spotted group of boys in an adjacent room.

They were holding weapons covered in black blood, swords and some sort of metal knuckle dusters. Two of them might be in her year, but the third was most certainly a senior.

Fuuka shrank back past the wall's edge; these boys were gorgeous. There wasn't any way they could have been here looking for her. Just the thought of plain, boring Yamagishi tagging along desperately next to the dashing young men over there made her want to slink away and disappear.

Then she overheard them talking amongst themselves.

They _were_ looking for her! She couldn't believe it!

Fuuka ran up to the three and collapsed in a kneel. All the hours of terrifying loneliness bore down on her, and she averted her face so they wouldn't see her tears.

"Never fear, Junpei's here!"

The heroic declaration might have sounded cheesey, but the poor girl was overcome with gratitude.

They had come all this way for _her!_

After she had been rescued, Fuuka was shortly thereafter introduced to the rest of SEES, and offered a place to stay at their dormitory.

Taking into account the situation with her parents, she was more than ready to agree to the change in residence.

As it was, she sat on the edge of her new bed. The sundress she was wearing wasn't particularly fashionable or sexy, but she liked it and it was comfortable. Often things like this made her look more child-like than she was, coupled with her small stature.

No one really notices.

Fuuka sighed and rose with a creak of the bedsprings. Maybe she would try cooking something for herself downstairs; If it didn't end up burned again.

Weren't girls supposed to be good cooks?

She padded down the stairs quietly and stepped into the kitchen, not looking up in time to avoid crashing into someone else.

*SMASH* "Ah!" "Yeep!"

The green-haired girl had fallen right on her bum, holding her smarting nose after colliding with the other person, who happened to be Junpei Iori.

"Oh man, I'm sorry Fuuka-chan! D-Did I hurt you or anything?" The lanky teenager sat on his knees holding his hands hovering uncertainly about her form.

"No! No, it was…my fault…" She trailed off, mortified that she'd made such an embarrassing move.

"No it's my bad, I'm always not paying attention…never paying attention…uhm…"

Fuuka saw his face go red, and then he turned his face to the side, his baseball cap shadowing part of his face from the overhead light.

"Uhm, Fuuka-chan…err…"

She stared at him uncomprehending before noticing her legs' position on the floor, which must be giving a clear view to Iori of her-

*Gasp!*

She quickly bunched up the fabric of her dress and covered herself, her face burning red and a look of anguish on her features. If only she could sink into the yellow tiled floor.

"I'm sorry!" Junpei quickly exclaimed, "I didn't see anything, I shouldn't have-"

"..n-no…it's okay." Yamagishi mumbled.

The hat sporting boy stared at her lowered head in awkward silence for a moment, then rose to his feet and extended his hand.

"I'm sorry, it was my fault. Please forgive me."

Fuuka looked up at Junpei's face, then at his proffered hand.

She slowly extended her own, and was soon hoisted up with his help.

The petit girl inhaled sharply at the sudden proximity to the boy. She could see the trimmed grain of his goatee, the smooth line of his jaw and the angular planes of his face inches from her own.

His eyes were really nice.

"Don't worry," She said quietly, "I don't blame you."

She turned away and began to head for the stairs, her appetite suddenly gone.

"Fuuka!"

She stopped and looked over her shoulder.

Junpei was scratching the back of his head, smiling bashfully.

"Uh...uhm…if it's alright, I mean….would you like to do something? …sometime?"

Yamagishi's eyes went wide.

"Well, I mean, I guess it's okay if you don't want t-"

"Yes!"

"Huh?"

She blushed again and stammered out, "Yes! I-I'd like to…if you want to…"

Junpei's face lit up as he smiled.

"Really? Awesome! I, uhm…well, I'll tell you when I have plans?"

Fuuka nodded empathetically, her hands clasped together in front of her chest.

"Great! Um, well…see you 'round…"

The lanky boy tried to make light of his elation, but couldn't wipe the grin off his face as he began cleaning the remains of his sandwich off the floor.

Yamagishi quickly climbed the stairs and ran into the safety of her room, where she squealed loudly and hopped up and down.

A boy had asked her out! What should she wear? What should she _say?_

In a few short days the quiet little girl had gone from the lowest point of her life to the highest. The rollercoaster of emotions made her dizzy, and Fuuka had to sit down on the bed to contain her happiness.

Things were looking up for the green-haired schoolgirl.

"Sempai! You're back!"

Mitsuru shed her coat as she walked back into the dormitory entry. Yukari had greeted her from the couch where she had been reading a magazine.

"You made it back okay? That guy didn't do anything, did he?" The girl in the pink cardigan crossed her arms.

Mitsuru chuckled and shook her head.

"There's no need to worry, he was a gentleman."

"I don't know, I still don't trust him. He gives off these weird vibes…"

Out of Yukari's line of sight, Minato sported a withered expression. Mitsuru connected the dots and struggled to keep her giggles stifled.

"Oh really? I don't imagine his brother likes being described that way."

The redhead left the lounge amid Takeba's stuttered apology, barely catching the younger Arisato's noncommittal monosyllabic answer.

Miss Kirijo ascended the stairs towards her room, pausing to say goodnight to Akihiko on the second floor.

It had been a good night.

The next morning Hayate had risen bright and early to the grey-pink skies of pre-dawn.

He rubbed at his eyes to ward away the last dregs of sleep. The nightmares had come again.

For the umpteenth time he wondered what he was doing here. Was he actually making a difference, or was he going to end up getting someone killed again?

He kicked an empty milk crate, watching it smack violently off of the drywall, chipping it to the steel beam beneath.

He felt like a goddamn _boss_ waltzing in and acting all cool. Kill a few shadows, pretend to be some kind of badass…

Then one nearly gives him the slip and Mitsuru ends up having to save his ass on the roof. How he be so stupid?

Hayate rose from his bedside and moved towards the dilapidated shower. Tweaking the faucet unleashed the cold water directly onto his naked form.

The ice drops burned as his nerve endings screamed in protest. Hayate shut off all feeling and bore the pain.

He closed his eyes and let the water wet his midnight blue hair, streaming down past his chin. He breathed in and out carefully, not to let any water in through his nose.

He opened his eyes and stared unseeingly at the tiles on the wall opposite.

He'd changed so much. A year ago Minato was a quiet, unnoticeable teenager with a passive disposition. Now he cursed regularly and bandied his life about with reckless abaddon.

How had he come to this?

_Because you want to die._ Said the little voice in his head. _You want it to be over so you can see your friends again. Here you're just an oddity, a visitor._

Maybe that was it.

He sank down in the stall and laid back against the slippery wall of the shower.

It didn't feel like he belonged here. It felt like he was _intruding_.

He didn't get up for a long time.

The morning sun had risen much higher than when he had awoken.

Hayate bundled his coat tighter and stepped up to the apartment garages. He fished out the slim plastic and nickel key from his pocket, all the while searching for P-7B.

Oh, there it was.

Nestled between two Toyota box cars, the Kawasaki Ninja was still in pristine condition. The overhead fluorescent lights played gleaming patterns over the midnight fuselage.

Well, he'd soon put it through it's paces.

He strapped on a helmet, inserted the key, clicked twice and then…

…he was gone.

The walls of vehicles flashed by as he exited the storage level. Pulling up onto the street Hayate banked right and began driving towards the main road.

Soon he was cruising along past the other cars. The roar of the wind and ambient noise of machinery filled his head.

Blue sky and urban tree-line bordered his journey. He watched curiously at a stoplight as a younger Mamoru entered an ice cream shop with his younger sister.

Soon he came to the bridge. From here he would be able to cross over to Port Island, and once he reached the station he-

_A blond girl fighting a monster._

Hayate's grip on the handlebars tightened instinctively, his eyes widening.

_Her goldenrod hair fluttering as her artificial arms pumped out 5.56 ammunition towards the blackness that threatened to engulf her._

His breathing felt stifled and his pupils dilated. This place, what were the chances…

_A blue haired boy watched in absolute stillness, standing inches away from his parent's dead bodies._

The blast of a car horn erupted from his right, and Hayate pulled back violently on the motorcycle.

There was a crunch of plastic, and the whole world spun as if he was hit with a sledgehammer. He flew through the air what seemed miles, and impacted heavily on the asphalt.

_There were voices, he was sure, voices that would tell him there was nothing he could do, that they were gone forever._

The driver of the sedan rushed out of his seat and shouted to ask if he was okay, bystanders calling an ambulance, traffic re-routing….

_They're dead. They're dead and you can't save them. They'll all be crushed beneath the blackness and you can only delay that future by tearing out your own soul._

As the paramedics carefully cut away the helmet and lifted him onto a streatcher, The older Minato Arisato stared only at the place where he had watched his parents die, where SEES had made that horrible last mistake, and he cried.

He cried silently, like always.

Shinjiro Aragaki wasn't a benevolent man.

Every now and then some new punk thinks he's tough shit, and decides to take him on.

"Hmph."

You'd think what with all the bloody losers that kept hobbling away they'd learn once and for all.

He was good at fighting. Then again, fighting was all he was good at.

_But you're not good, are you?_

No, no he wasn't. Good people didn't kill innocent women, didn't leave orphans to shiver alone in the government boarding house wondering why they're all alone in the world.

Shinji sank back further into the depths of his pea coat. His scowl more pronounced in the dark of the alleyway.

_I'm never gonna live this down._

His left hand started clenching, and he had to visibly restrain himself until the spasm died down.

_Damn…I'll need to get some more pills from those assholes._

A disgusted breath passed his lips, and he rose from his seat. The concrete looked more civilized without _him_ on it.

Shinjiro stalked off back to his sleeping place in the urban jungle. Maybe he'd eat the last of that cat food. There wasn't any money for ramen today.

In five days his life would change forever.


	11. Chapter 11

"Damn it!"

Junpei scowled at the broken remains of his desk lamp that he had knocked over while pulling on his pants. Maybe if he had been sitting on his bed while getting dressed this wouldn't have happened.

The thought hadn't occurred to the lanky teenager, being that he had more pressing matters at hand.

Today he had a date with Yamagishi!

He'd been saving his last clean pair of jeans for this, hell; he even took the time to shine his belt buckle; a strategically placed undershirt showing off his toned chest and the stylish fur-trimmed coat that he wore when it was chilly.

"Oh yeah, looking good Iori."

He grinned wolfishly into the mirror and thumbed his nose. This was a piece of cake!

He looked about for a moment before locating his wallet.

…

Ugh, that didn't look good. Well, he'd have to swear off ramen for a while, but if it meant treating Fuuka-chan for a day, it was worth it.

When he glanced at the clock, however, Junpei did a double take.

"Oh crap, I have to go!"

Dashing out the door, he nearly bowled over Minato in his rush to meet his date downstairs.

The younger Arisato stared after his friend's retreating form, and shrugged.

He had plans of his own that night.

"Hey! Fuuka-chan, sorry I'm-"

Any further apology he might have had to say died in his throat.

Fuuka was standing in the main foyer, her hands clasped together in front of her chest. She was wearing a tight black turtleneck with a pale green skirt and shawl wrapped around her narrow shoulders. She fidgeted nervously as she waited.

The girl looked so small and cute, Junpei couldn't help but blush madly.

"Woah." He said.

Yamagishi smiled and averted her eyes.

"I'm sorry," She said quietly, "I don't have any fashionable clothes really."

She looked up at him and smiled, "You look handsome."

Junpei scratched the back of his head and laughed.

"Yeah, well that's just me!"

He extended his arm to the slighter girl next to him.

"Ready to go?"

"Mmm hmm!"

The pair strode out of the dormitory, light banter going back and forth.

It looked like it was going to be a good night.

When Hayate finally opened his eyes, he became acutely aware of the nurse standing overhead trying to get his attention.

"…coming around…yes…excuse me?"

Her voice registered in his brain, and he nodded in response.

"Good, how many fingers am I holding up? Do you know what day it is?"

The orderly continued her routine check-up, and Hayate answered listlessly. He looked out the window and observed the afternoon sunlight filtering through the glass. He could faintly hear the shouts and cheers of students on a nearby soccer field.

"I'm glad to say that you're in fine working order. If you don't mind there's someone here to see you."

Blue eyebrows arched in surprise as the nurse left, only for a younger version of himself to take her place.

"Yo."

"Yo yourself."

Minato spared a brief smile before his eyes flicked over the injuries that were bandaged across his older self's body.

"What happened?"

Hayate looked away.

"I got…there was a flashback. You know, on _that_ bridge."

A frown crossed Minato's features briefly before he nodded.

A silence descended over the two. Uncomfortable, Hayate moved up into a seated position.

"How's your progress in Tartarus?"

"Fine, we've reached a barrier we can't cross."

"That'll disappear after a while."

"Just like they usually do?"

Hayate grinned and closed his eyes.

"Yeah. Don't worry, I'm taking care of my end."

Minato's expression didn't give away much, but having the same facial cues told Hayate that his younger self thought things were _anything_ but that.

"Doesn't this seem too easy?"

"Hn?"

Minato sat on the edge of the bed and removed his headphones. He was serious.

"We're ploughing through the shadows now, and you're going it solo provided you don't get surprised like last time…what if there's something we're missing?"

"The possibility exists," said the older Arisato, "We're only human, I've planned out what I can, but the game has changed. I just hope we can pull through any difficulties."

"Yeah…"

The track on Minato's walkman changed, and 'Want to be Close' drifted out in a barely audible treble.

"We're going to Yakushima next week," said the younger bluenette.

"Oh?"

"Mitsuru-san will probably be by at some point to tell you as well."

He glanced at his older self from the side.

"You think it's a good idea getting close to that girl? She's not the most forgiving type."

"Well, we're the same person. What would you do if you were alone with her?"

"…"

"…"

"…That's exactly what I was afraid of." Minato admit desersively.

The two broke out in a bout of laughter, before the nurse shooed the visiting Arisato away for disturbing the patient.

Hayate gazed out the window and folded his arms behind his head.

Maybe things would be okay after all.

"Hey, you're awake!"

Hayate blinked his eyes as Akihiko Sanada walked through the door, his coat slung over a shoulder.

"Feeling better?"

"Yes, thanks."

The taller boy nodded, "That's good, we need everyone in this fight."

"I'll be out in a few days. How is your end holding up?"

"Fine, but I need to pick up the pace with my training. It wasn't all that long ago that I had my arm broken."

A nauseating smell of hospital food wafted in, and Hayate shook his head when the nurse reached his door.

The silver haired teenager winced in sympathy.

"Man, I feel bad for you. This stuff is horrible."

"Tell me about it, nutrients never tasted so bad."

There was a quick chuckle, and then the two talked over some other things as the visiting hours rolled on.

"So you've been to the gym then?"

"Yeah, I haven't done core for a while, but I'm increasing the weights on upper body."

"How many reps then?"

"I'm at five. I'll be at 85% of my max lift from September if I keep this up. I'll test myself once more before exams."

"I hear you. The boxing team hasn't been giving me much free time."

"Regionals are coming up, aren't they?"

The two continued to talk for a long time.

At one point, Akihiko suddenly leaned foreword and adopted a grave expression.

"Hey, not to intrude, but are you seeing Mitsuru?"

Blue eyebrows rose in surprise.

"What brought this on?"

Akihiko looked away nervously.

"It's none of my business, but you have to know man. She's not someone you want to cross."

He lifted his finger and lectured in a dark tone.

"If you so much as step _slightly_ out of line with her, she'll execute you."

Hayate thought back to the hot springs incident.

"You mean like…bufu or something?"

"I mean she'll put her rapier through your cock."

"WHAT."

If Akihiko was joking, he didn't look like it.

"A guy on the fencing team once slapped her butt, and she pirouetted without missing a beat and ran him through the groin. There were paramedics, and…"

The explanation drowned out of Hayate's hearing as he sank beneath the bed covers.

"Oh shit."

Fuuka and Junpei walked to the Iwatodai station movie theatre together. There wasn't very much of a chill in the late afternoon, but they were glad they had dressed in sleeves.

A few stray maple leaves blew across the main plaza, drawing Yamagishi's gaze for a moment. She breathed in the evening air and tried to calm her nerves.

"S-so…" she stated openly.

"Oh yeah, which one do you want to see Fuuka-chan?" Junpei cocked his hat back and looked down at her.

The green haired girl looked across the board.

"There's a few to choose from," she mused.

As she stared at the timetables, Junpei couldn't help but ogle the cutie he was next to. She was biting her thumb as she stared up with wide eyes, so absolutely precocious without even knowing it.

"How about that one?"

"Huh?"

"Casino Royale. If you want we could see something e-"

Junpei actually laughed and snatched up her tiny hand in his.

"No way, I like your taste Fuuka-chan!"

As the lanky teenager walked them over to the ticket booth humming pleasantly, Yamagishi blushed red and tightened her grip inside his larger hand.

"Hello?"

Hayate looked up for the third time that day to find yet another visitor. This time it seemed Yukari Takeba had decided to pay him a visit.

"How are you feeling?"

"Better, thanks."

"That's good."

She shifted from one leg to another, and then settled down in a chair beside the bed.

"I heard you were in an accident."

"I was hit by a car, I didn't see it coming."

"That's horrible, are you healing okay?"

"Yes, I'll be out soon. How are things on your end?"

The girl in the pink cardigan sighed and flipped her hair back.

"Alright I guess. Archery club is on my case again, and I need to pick up my studies…"

Hayate leaned back, "Mmm Hmm."

"But I don't think you'd care about any of that…"

"Please, go on. It's nice to hear someone talk about normal things rather than shadows all the time."

The brunette blinked, and smiled a bit.

"Really?"

They talked back and forth for a while.

"You know, Takeba-san," Hayate said carefully, "I'm under the impression you're uncomfortable around me."

The brunette startled guiltily and averted her eyes, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt all the while.

"I-it's not that…"

"Mmm?"

A short huff exhaled past her lips and she turned back to him with her arms crossed.

"I just, I don't know anything about you. To suddenly drop in on us and all that…it's a little disconcerting."

"Oh?"

"It's not exactly comforting knowing we might have to rely on a complete stranger when we're out fighting shadows. I'd like to trust the people I'm risking my life wi…hey…are you even paying attention?"

Yukari's eyebrows knit together in annoyance as Hayate's eyes came back into focus.

"…yeah."

She scowled with a quirk of her mouth and stared flatly, "Seriously?"

"Yes, I was listening to you…and admiring those thighs."

"You…YOU PIG!"

Hayate laughed as he tried to shield himself from the blows being rained on him, and despite herself, Yukari smiled too.

"Aw man, that was _great!_"

Junpei streatched his arms towards the grey dark of the sky. His back cricked once and released a gasp from him in pleasure.

"It sure is cramped in there. What did you think Fuuka-chan?"

Yamagishi looked up at him and smiled as she nodded her head, sending tufts of green hair to rustle about her face.

"I liked it too."

Iori smiled, and then subtly inched his hand closer, hoping she'd take it.

"Great! Well, it's getting late though…you ready to head back?"

Fuuka told him she was, and discreetly avoided looking down as she accepted his hand-hold. They shared an unspoken agreement many teenagers have to avoid being embarrassed by the act.

The Iwatodai station's night lamps had already come on. Fluorescent illumination of the complex made everything look a shade paler than it was. It also pressed home how sleepy everyone was prone to feel at this hour.

The two teenagers crossed the ticket booths, flashing their passes over the scanners resulting in a confimatory 'blip.' They waited only half a dozen minutes talking about small things.

After boarding the train, the two took a pair of seats on the left of the relatively empty car. A moment of silence passed, punctuated only by the rhythmic thunks and creaks of the train.

"Hey…" Fuuka said quietly.

Junpei looked over at her next to him, "Yep?"

The small girl played with the hem of her skirt, and mumbled something.

Iori leaned closer, "Sorry, I didn't catch that. Are you okay?"

"U-um," Her cheeks rosied up a notch, "When we get back, how about I make you some dinner?"

Now it was Junpei's turn to blush, and he looked away to save face.

"Oh wow, hey sure! Why not? I mean, I bet you're a great cook!"

_Oh man! _Junpei sang to himself, _No girl's ever cooked for me before, I can't wait!_

Yamagishi brightened considerably, and the two spent the remainder of the ride sneaking glances at their date.

The sun had fallen far beyond the thin line of the horizon, despite the lingering red and gold splashed over the western front.

There was nary a sound for Hayate to focus on but the distant drone of cars and the muted ring of a phone on the receptionist's desk.

Despite his apparent leave to get some sleep, the older Arisato sat up straighter as he detected a distinct rhythm of high heels clacking over the linoleum floor.

With almost rehearsed syncrocity, the 'click clack's' halted, and the door to his room swung open.

"Hello Arisato-san."

In the dark half-light of the hospital cot, Hayate's adopted a look of curiosity.

"Hello miss Kirijo, what brings you here after visiting hours?"

Her face betrayed no emotion, and the blue haired teenager began to wonder if he was in for it.

"That was very dangerous, what you did."

"I lost control, I was blindsided."

She frowned visibly, and tapped her foot in annoyance.

"You cannot afford to do such a thing on a motorcycle, Arisato."

"It was a lapse," He snapped back, starting to feel irked himself, "I didn't _mean_ to get smashed."

The redhead shook her head and glared at him.

"If you're not skilled enough to ride on your own yet, then you'd better stay on your feet."

"Well I should know well enough, shouldn't I? You're the one who taught me anyhow."

The instant the words left his mouth, Hayate knew he should have kept it shut. Mitsuru's eyes widened and she looked actually taken aback.

"I-I did?"

Arisato looked away, angry he had given away another thing he should not have concerning the future.

Mitsuru studied his profile for a long time, the silence suffocating all thought between them.

"We had been close, you and I." She deduced quietly.

The only indication he gave was a tightening of the facial muscles.

The redhead rose without a word and stepped closer to the boy lying in the bed; her footfalls echoing in the small room.

Her hand arced out and a finger lazily traced the gauze wrapped tightly about his torso, splotched with dried crimson.

"Are you still hurt?"

"No."

"…"

Her manicured finger rose further, moving over his collarbone, the nail tickling his skin as she laconically drew it upwards. It stopped, hovering over the corner of his lips, before pressing across his mouth, drawing softly.

Hayate closed his eyes as he experienced the soothing sensations she evoked.

Mitsuru, as though satisfied by her inspection, began to lean foreward; gripping the rail on the side of the cot for support.

"Baka." She whispered.

Then brilliant red hair intermingled with cobalt as faces came together and met at the mouth.

Her lips, they were even fuller than he remembered.

They told each other the story inside themselves by tongue, fighting for dominance in the bubble of privacy that the ward provided.

Hayate began to lose himself in the sensation of her hot mouth, the fragrance of her hair and soft skin impeded by silk shirt.

At some point, though neither could tell how long had passed, a phone rang shrilly, and they disengaged with hurried formality.

Taking a moment to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, Mitsuru composed herself, and answered her telephone.

"Hello?"

"_SEMPAI!_" Fuuka's voice wailed.

"Yamagishi!" Suddenly alert, the young Kirijo tensed at the girl's tone, "What's wrong?"

"_I cooked dinner and now JUNPEI-KUN'S NOT MOVING!_"

The sniffles continued over the line as Mitsuru turned unbelievingly to stare at Hayate, who began laughing uncontrollably.


	12. Chapter 12

"Alright! This is awesome!"

Junpei hung onto the ship's railing as he stared out at the open ocean. His shouts startled a couple of seagulls that began circling overhead.

"Careful Junpei-kun!" Fuuka hung back a respectable distance from the edge of the deck.

The teenager had bounced back quickly from his episode of food poisoning, and about the same time Hayate left the hospital with a clean bill of health.

The SEES entourage left early in the morning for the Tatsumi docks, none of them carrying very much luggage.

"You know," Hayate whispered conspiratorially to the redhead beside him, "If he keeps that up he's going to fall in."

Miss Kirijo sighed and tucked one of her locks behind an ear.

"I expect Iori is old enough to take responsibility for himself."

"His age isn't the dependant variable here."

"Yes, well…"

"I mean," The blue haired teen lifted his hands as he spoke, "Judging by past example, what do you think is going to-"

SPLASH

"Aiiiiiiieee! Junpei-kun! Somebody help him!" Fuuka panicked as she ran back and forth on the deck, looking for a floatation device.

"And now our conversation has become meaningless." Hayate leaned back against the cabin wall and soaked up the sunlight, interrupted only by the passing of two crewmembers who hauled Junpei back in.

"Why do I have the feeling you wanted to see that happen?" Mitsuru asked as she sat beside him.

"Because you're _very_ perceptive." Hayate said as he tilted his head towards her and spoke softly into the shell of her ear.

Mitusru coloured immediately and flinched away from the sensitive contact.

"What do you think you're doing?" She glared at the grinning youth beside her.

"Nothing. Nothing at all."

"Don't act so familiar in publiiiIIIIIIIEEE!" The girl twisted away from his straying hands as he went for her ticklish sides.

"Or what?" Hayate cried as he pounced on the Kirijo heir, "Whatcha gonna do?"

"E-enough!"

Mitsuru flipped him over with an agile shimmy and trapped him with her legs, holding his wrists above his head. The two caught their breath again as the blue haired one smiled cheekily at the girl straddling him.

"You win."

"I always win, Mr. Arisato." She replied.

He stared a moment longer.

"You're so damn attractive when you're riled up."

Mitusru's face erupted into a ferocious blush at his statement, and failing to stutter out a witty reply, she settled on an annoyed scowl as she kissed him roughly on the deck.

"MMMmmph!"

At that point Akihiko rounded the corner to ask what had happened with Junpei, when he saw the two of them on the floor and, mouth still open to voice his question, went back the way he came.

Mitusru pasued for a moment.

"Did you hear something Haya-kun?" she whispered.

The boy in question looked past her shoulder, "There's no one there."

"Very well." The teenage Kirijo concluded in a business-like tone, proceeding to attack his mouth again.

_I guess it's true what they say about school trips_, mused the older Arisato.

_Romantic impulses increase 120%_.

After the ferry had reached the dock, the group collected their baggage and moved to the parking lot to await their driver. From there they would be dropped off at the Kirijo summer cottage.

Now all they had to do was wait.

"Where did you get those red marks on your neck sempai?"

…and avoid unwanted questions.

Mitsuru resolutely ignored Takeba as the girl sought to apply a bandage, while Hayate and Akihiko carefully examined the wooden floor of the dock.

Fuuka and Junpei were picking out people leaving in cars and guessing what their occupations were.

Minato tuned out from the drama with his headphones.

After a brief wait, a limousine pulled up to the dock and an older gentleman emerged from within. Exchanging pleasantries with Mitsuru, he then ushered the other teenagers into the vehicle and packed the luggage with practiced discipline.

"Do you know who that man is, Sanada-san?" Hayate leaned over to murmur in the gloom of the cab.

The silver haired boxer tilted his head closer.

"I think he's ex-army if I'm right. Royal marines commando."

"An Englishman?"

"Hai."

Hayate sank back against the seat and ran the thought through his head. The last time around he hadn't picked up that particular tidbit.

Aimlessly watching the scenery fly by the windows, he admired the moving vantage of the outside world in muted silence. It was almost surreal, having been there before, and being there once again.

Junpei poked fun at the stotic Minato, and Akihiko carried on a conversation with Mitsuru. All of them, down to the very last detail, had been altered by his meddling.

It was a heavy weight on his mind that the slightest alterations he made would affect the futures of his friends so.

"We're here ma'am."

Grey eyes flicked up to the impressive causeway of the Kirijo summer getaway. Hayate removed himself from the vehicle and shouldered his rucksack.

"Well jimmy," Hayate said to himself more than anything, "You've really screwed the pooch on this one. Just hitch your britches' and hope for the best."

And it was with those words that a much older Arisato walked through the gates of the cottage a second time.

The meeting with Takeharu Kirijo had gone more or less the same, save that he mentioned to Hayate that he'd need to speak with him at some point in the evening. The taller bluenette got some impressed looks from his peers as he nodded to the man. The whole thing gave off vibes of 'secret agent' that Junpei vocally proclaimed. With all that said and done, first things first;

_Time to hit the beach_.

The sun was shining overhead in a blue sky dotted with whisps of cloud. The crash of the sea rang in everyone's ears, and the tang of salt gave an exotic flavour to the place.

Hayate actually cut loose and raced Junpei to the shoreline, following which the two began thrashing about in the cool seawater with the virile energy teenagers have in abundance.

"Holy crap! I think I stepped on a crab."

"Get away from that thing sempai! It'll claw your toes off!"

"I call bullshit."

A splash of water met the last comment and the two continued fighting in the surf.

Hayate peeked through his sopping locks and waved down his younger counterpart and Akihiko.

"Hey lil' bro! Come on in!"

The facial tick that appeared didn't fail to amuse the older bluenette.

Junpei suddenly drew closer in the shallows and elbowed him in the side.

"Hey man," The reverse-capped teen whispered, "Here come the girls."

Down the tree-lined stepped the bikini clad trio that made up the female portion of SEES.

Yukari was humming quietly to herself as she came into view, a pink with blue trim swim top adorning her chest, and denim cut-offs riding dangerously low on her lightly bronzed skin.

Sweet little Fuuka came in next, with a swimsuit that she must have owned previously judging by the conservative design, a teal that matched her hair rather well. It was, due to it's age, rather _tight_.

And last, but certainly not least, Mitsuru Kirijo.

Her skin was very pale. Not sickly, but more of an alabaster marble that hadn't been in the sun very often. Generous hips were loosely wrapped in a thin veil, the white swimsuit thong beneath hugging her frame tightly. Her sweat highlighted the muscles of her flat tummy, rising to a pair of breasts that argued staunchy against the other half of the two-piece that held them captive.

"Jesus Christ…" Hayate muttered as he drank in her form. She looked even better than he remembered.

Junpei gawked openly, then sank into the water up to his chin to hide a new _development_.

Hayate sank in next to him.

"So," Muttered the bluenette conspiratorially, "Who's your type?"

"Wha-Fuuka chan of course! Man, what do you take me for?" Junpei had the decency to look upset.

"Okay."

"But…well, as a man I can appreciate a beauty."

"Ah…"

"Soo…"

Hayate inclined his head, "The way those shorts are clinging to Yukari's butt is criminal."

"Totally. Is that camel-toe on Mitsuru's suit?"

"I can't tell at this distance."

"Hn."

"Fuuka looks nice."

Junpei whistled.

"She looks so damn cute in that swimsuit, I don't think she bought a new one since middle school."

"Uh oh." Hayate looked away to hide his grin. "Here we go."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. Good luck getting her out of it."

A flurry of bubbles met his remark as Junpei floundered off in embarrassment.

Hayate sunk himself and stood up out of the spray laughing.

He slowly walked out of the water and approached the group on the beach.

"Hey everyone," He said smiling as blue hair dripped past his eyes and ears, muscles gleaming wetly in the sun, "Coming in for a dip?"

Yukari nodded cheerfully and hopped off toward the surf. Fuuka followed uncertainly after, keeping an eye on Junpei as he floated on his back.

Akihiko went about looking for a marker to use for some training, while Minato wadded out into the water and proceeded to float peacefully.

And then there were two.

Mitsuru shifted uneasily from foot to foot.

"Erm, Arisato?" She asked looking at him through the fringe of her red hair.

"Yes?"

"Would you mind assisting me put on some lotion?"

'_Yes, I would mind because if my erection tears through the material of my swim shorts I will be faced with a long walk back'._ Thought Hayate.

What he said, was "Sure."

The white, creamy lotion was cool to the touch. Hayate squeezed out a small amount onto his palms and rubbed them together as he eyed his workspace.

Mitsuru's smooth legs ran up the length of the towel, joining towards her full, pert rear barely covered by a meagre swimsuit. The top lay undone, exposing the intricacy of her back muscles gleaming with a feminine dip to her spine. Luscious red hair lay splayed about her head.

Hayate shivered as he straddled her butt, and proceeded to apply the sunscreen.

If by the gentle rhythm of her noises of contentment he could judge, then incorporating a massage was a great idea. He watched entranced as her skin became malleable to his touch, the warmth and smoothness and fullness all at once the woman below him.

Like a man in a religious trance he kneaded the taut flesh at his fingertips; Watching the slick skin ripple underneath. The hair about her mouth moved more quickly, as her erratic breaths came out more laboured.

Hayate lowered his upper body closer to the back of the girl, and gently bit down on the back of her neck, hitting a sensitive spot for the Kirijo heir.

It was when she laconically turned about to face him, he long lashes all but covering her eyes as she stared at him red faced, that Hayate came to the conclusion that he loved her.

Mimicking his earlier motions, his lips came to rest on hers, and a flat hard male chest cushioned against the softness of the female as they clasped one another's hands above their heads, twisting together amid the hot towel and dry sand.

"Oh my gah, oh my gah, oh my gah…" Poor Fuuka had achieved a new level of tomato red as she gazed mortified at her sempai going at it on the beach.

Junpei was gently shaking her by the shoulders, absentmidedly muttering about how it was rude, and they should not be watching and…and…

Yukari was pointedly looking away.

Minato was still floating. Actually, he'd been doing that for a while.

_Maybe someone should check on him…_

When Akihiko completed his rounds of swimming he happened to pass by the relaxing bluenette, and prodded him to check for survival, just before Minato managed to achieve nirvana.

With a decidedly dejected outlook on life, Minato then decided to wander down the beach before Mitsuru remembered they were in public and decked his older self something fierce.

The sand stuck to his wet feet with an unpleasant sensation, as he passed small groups of people relaxing on Yakushima's beach.

Eventually the boy came to a rocky outpost of the sandbar, with a weathered old dock extending out to the sea a short ways.

Standing on the edge of the dock was a beautiful girl in a sundress.

Minato watched the billows of her clothing flow around her body, suggesting the smooth legs beneath. Sunlight danced from a headphone assembly she was wearing, causing him to finger his Audio Technica ATH-EM700's.

_I wonder what model those are…maybe she'll compare sound quality with me_.

It was a little known fact, but Arisatos had some sort of dread fascination with sound equipment.

He padded along the weathered wood towards the girl. Before he could come up with an opening line to break the ice, she turned and stared him straight in the eye.

_So blue…_ He thought to himself under her intense gaze.

The girl's eyes widened a fraction, and she stated something in a pedantic tone that Minato did not manage to hear through the crash of the surf.

Spinning on her heel, the girl in the blue dress dashed past him and took off into the tree line. Strangely enough, she was running with her body almost parallel to the ground, arms flung back; Ninja-style.

"W-what was that about?" Arisato murmured to himself.

If it hadn't been for the spark of recognition in her eyes, he would have thought she had simply been scared off, but something seemed off about the whole thing.

Resolved, Minato began to jog after her into the jungle.

"This," Said Hayate staring out towards the sea, "I had not expected this."

From his current perspective he found he appreciated the normal difference in height between humans and crabs a lot more than he had before being buried up to his neck in sand.

"You brought this on yourself," Mitsuru scolded with suppressed fury, "I've let you get away with more than your share of villainy thus far."

The blue haired teenager looked up at his love interest as she planted her foot on his head.

"I dislike public displays of affection, Arisato. It's inexcusable behaviour from a lady of my station, and if I am to succeed my father my suitor must show similar decorum. Do you understand~?" She asked, applying pressure as the last word was drawn out.

"Yes." Came the surly response.

"Good." She nodded her red-tressed head in satisfaction and sauntered off to the shade of the umbrella, where Yukari cheered her on while Junpei, Fuuka and Akihiko cast sympathetic looks at the unfortunate senior.

Hayate stared at the crustaceans lining the whitewash while wondering if his day would get any worse.

Then the crabs began moving closer.

"Excuse me, miss? Are you alright?"

Minato's voice penetrated the natural static of the jungle with unexpected volume. He shifted from one foot to the next while observing the lower half of a bright blue dress and a bit of bright blonde hair hiding behind a plaque describing the legendary tree shine the stood in.

The girl peeked out at him cutely, before dashing forward and wrapping her arms tightly about his middle.

"My highest priority is to be with you!" She all but shouted into his chest.

Minato became incredibly aware, at that point, of the press of budding breasts on his bare chest, the tickle of her warm breath, the sensation of her soft hair on his neck and the scent of something artificial about her. It was not an altogether unpleasant smell.

"What?" He asked softly.

"Please," She looked up at him with those shining blue eyes and tightened her hold.

_She's strong, cripes…_He thought to himself.

All circumstances aside, his manners came into play with the unconscious cue.

"Minato Arisato, nice to meet you."

She stepped back a pace and clasped her hands together.

"I am Aigis. Nice to meet you."

Standing there, amid the sunlight filtered through the canopy of leaves, the bare dirt-packed ground cold to his feet, Minato felt something stir within himself. He knew, without a shadow of doubt, there was no place he'd rather be.

He stepped forward and took her hand in his own.

"Well, Aigis," He said, "Will you walk with me?"

"…Always."


	13. Chapter 13

"No, try not to flick your wrist so much."

"I do not understand.'

"The trick is to get a good spin and a flat trajectory, then it'll skip on it's own."

"I comprehend."

The blonde girl threw the pebble with what seemed an effortless toss, resulting in fifteen consecutive splashes on the water's surface before sinking out of sight.

Minato scratched the side of his face.

"Wow, you sure picked that up quickly."

The pair had wandered out of the woods, Arisato deciding to take the girl out to the shoreline for some stone-skipping.

It was a quaint activity, but he was internally racking his brains for an explanation to the strange girl.

_I've had girls call me handsome before, but no one's ever reacted so strongly out of the blue before._

He idly scratched under his earlobe.

_Her speech is rather strange; I wonder where she's from?_

He was brought out of his trance by a tugging on his sleeve.

"Are you well? Your mannerisms dictate unease." The girl's flat tone rang oddly in his ears.

"Yeah…I'm fine…"

She closed her eyes and smiled at him.

"Good, I'm glad."

There was a simple sincerity in her voice, being so totally at peace with him there, that Minato thought his doubts and curiosity at her strange attraction unfounded nonsense.

Worst of all, he was so pleased by her smitten attitude that he blushed bashfully.

For lack of a better action, he took her gloved hand in his, and led her down the rocky part of the beach gently.

The built a small inuksuk on one of the larger boulders, pointing the way to the mainland. He then took her to the little pools dotting the shoreline and watched the little fish and crustaceans move about in their little worlds.

"What are these?" She asked quietly.

"They're the little fish that live in the slip-tide."

"Oh?"

"When ocean water draws back with the tide some of these pools are formed, trapping the tiny life inside. They actually make out a decent life in their own little world."

Her face tilted sideways and a golden lock fell across her sombre eyes.

"How sad that they are forced into this new life."

Minato watched her for a moment, and said, "We all make due with what we have."

She turned to meet his eyes, then looked once more into the mirror surface of the pool.

All at once she scooped out a small crab and, stepping lightly, took him to the water's edge and released him into the surf.

She turned to him and raised her hands to her mouth to shout, "Now he's free!"

Minato couldn't help but smile at the warm heart of the girl.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Aigis asked uncertainly.

"Mmm-hmph!-yeah. Sure."

His legs were securely wrapped about the trunk of the palm tree, giving his arms the opportunity to reach out towards the coconuts that held fast in the crux of the branches.

Tug

Tug

Tu-CRACK!

With a shower of needles the heavy coconut plummeted to earth and Arisato scrambled to quickly regain his hold on the tree.

"Minato!"

"I…I'm alright."

He shimmied down to the sand and righted himself before grabbing the coconut and waving over Aigis.

"Here, let me show you…"

There was a resounding snap as he opened the coconut on a sharp rock, taking care not to spill too much milk.

"You can…eat this?" Aigis asked curiously.

"Yeah, you've never tried it?"

He watched her shake her head 'no,' blonde tresses turning along her chin. Taking his own half he sipped the milk as a demonstration.

Aigis turned to her own half and mimicked his actions, a thin trickle escaping the corner of her mouth.

"Uhm." Minato pointed to the corner of his own mouth. The blonde looked at him, then felt the moisture on her cheek.

"Oh."

She gathered it on the tip of her finger and stuck it into her mouth, drawing it out slowly with a contented expression.

"Mmm." She simpered cutely.

Minato choked on seeing such an innocently arousing display, when she looked at him questioningly, he busied himself on the white flesh of the coconut.

Crunch

"Oh, crap. Um, you don't…you don't eat the brown part…" He said with a sweatdrop.

"Why?" Asked the blonde, a bite mark clearly missing from her half.

"It's not…edible."

"Oh."

As they finished, Arisato couldn't help but wonder how strong this girl's jaw muscles were.

_Cripes…_

"Hey, you guys want to join in?" A red-shorts wearing teen called out to the blue and blonde duo walking down the beach.

Minato looked up, and saw six teenagers playing beach volleyball on the sand.

"C'mon, we can play four on four!" One of the girls bounced on her toes and set her reasonable assets against gravity.

The bluenette turned to his companion, "Have you ever played before?"

She shook her head silently.

They joined the game, pairing up with the sandy-haired guy who called them over. The opposing team had the first serve.

A brunette adopted a look of intense concentration, arched her body with the rising volleyball, and struck it over handed.

The white missile scarcely passed the net before being intercepted by a blue and blonde blur, changing course abruptly to be driven into the sand of it's serving team.

"W-what?"

One of the girls pried the white ball out of the ground in awe. There was a definitive fist-shaped indentation in its surface, the ball having penetrated a foot into the sand.

"Is it dead?" Asked one of the boys in a half-joking, half-shaken tone.

The girl could only nod her head absently.

Minato muttered an apology while discreetly leading Aigis away by the hand, all the while with her looking about with innocent confusion.

"Did we win?"

Walking down the local town's cobblestone streets, the smell of vendor food filled the air alongside the ever-present scent of salt water and seaweed that port towns had.

Seagulls cried out to the sky, mingling with the tenor of the shouts and bicycle noise. No cars came to this particular straight. The hammering of nails on wood drifted out of a half built house, and a crescendo of shouts, half of dismay and half of jubilation, burst forth from a pub.

Minato adjusted the collar of the cheap shirt he bought on their way into the village, taking care to walk with Aigis around a spill of produce that had come off a farm truck.

"_She's certainly like no other girl I've met before." _He thought idly, _"But something's very strange about her."_

The girl had only told him her first name, regardless of the courtesy that Minato told her his full one, suggesting she's either hiding her family name out of popularity, or some other reason.

In addition, he thought as he watched her examining a stall selling souvenirs to tourists, she had an almost cartoon level strength, driving a volleyball into a foot of earth and literally _biting_ a chunk out of a coconut.

Really, how many times do you brush your teeth for that kind of benefit?

Still, there wasn't any lie in her eyes when she said 'being with him was her highest priority,' which was consequently the strangest confession he'd ever heard.

Having grown up alone, Minato had very quickly become a good judge of reading people. The facial twitches, subliminal cues, the slight set of the mouth, stance, all of these contributed to a person's demeanour.

_And all of these are strangely absent with her._ He thought to himself.

"Here Minato-san, try it." The girl in question suddenly appeared before him with a pork bun steaming in a paper wrapper.

He took a moment to look at her again, smiling at him with the little morsel held in both hands out to him. Her sunny blonde hair drifted across her brow in the even breeze, blue eyes staring at him expectantly, her back straight, letting the sky-blue sundress billow around her slim frame.

There was something strange about her.

Minato leaned forward and took a bite of her snack.

_It doesn't matter what it is._ He resigned to himself.

_There's something strange about me too._

They passed the day in each other's company.

As the sun sank lower into the ocean, they began to make the trek back to the Kirijo estate before it became too dark.

The gravel crunched pleasantly under their sandals as the two walked hand in hand. Minato idly examined the warm orange tint that coloured the fauna surrounding the manor. If he'd woken up just now he would not have been able to tell if it had been sunrise or _sunset_.

When he had offered to take her home, Aigis had said she was staying at the Kirijo grounds, leading him to believe she must be a friend of Mitsuru's somehow.

"Hey!"

The two looked up and noticed Hayate waving to them.

"Glad you're back, they're just setting out dinner."

"Thanks."

Minato gestured towards the older bluenette, "Aigis, this is my brother Hayate. Hayate, this is Aigis. We met on the beach."

If he had been watching closely, Minato might have caught the tiniest indication Hayate let slip on his face, before schooling them into a welcoming grin.

"Nice to meet you."

Aigis stared wide eyed between the two Arisatos, unable to speak for a moment.

"This…this can't be…" She breathed.

Minato's looked at her curiously, whatever was the matter?

Perhaps sensing the oncoming flood of questions, Hayate ushered the two indoors.

"Nevermind that for now, please come inside and join the others."

The dining room was already host to the remainder of the SEES group, wearing casual clothing to the informal table.

"Hey, that's the _second_ blue-hair that's come back with a smoking babe!" Junpei jeered towards Minato.

"Junpei-kun!" Fuuka frantically tugged at his elbow.

The cap wearing teen turned slowly and met Mitsuru's irritated glare.

"I…I mean, well…" He sweat for a moment before gulping and pulling the brim of his hat over his eyes.

"Iori…" Akihiko palmed his forehead at the antics.

Laughter aside, Minato introduced Aigis to the rest of the members as they came together to shake hands.

"Good to see you again, Aigis." Mitsuru stated.

"So you two know each other already?" Minato asked, unusually vocal that night.

"Yes." Takeharu Kirijo entered the room carrying a file folder.

"I trust you're in one piece?" He asked the blonde girl.

"Yes sir, outward appearance is down 5%, however."

"That's fine, we'll have the technicians give you a tune-up." The one-eyed man took a puff on his cigar.

"Everyone, I'd like you to meet Aigis. A mechanical maiden possessing an Artificial Intelligence."

Startled eyes turned to the seemingly normal girl in a blue dress.

"I am the anti-shadow weapon assigned to SEES from this day forth." She said with conviction.

Minato could only stare in wonder.


	14. Chapter 14

[Author's Note: I want to thank you all for being patient with this story. For the next few weeks I will be concentrating on bringing out the remaining chapters of reload to their conclusion. Don't worry, there's still a good number of chapters to go, I'm not going to rush it.]

Fuuka bustled about her room, taking care not to let the wrinkles stay in her bed linen. With the last of the folded garments packed into the provided dresser, she cast one last glance about the place before settling on the bed with a contented sigh and a rustle of fabric.

It was at this exact time that Junpei decided to knock at her door.

"Hey Fuuka-chan," he intoned, "Are you still awake?"

"Oh yes, come in." She smoothed her nightgown along her skinny legs.

Iori entered wearing a thin t-shirt and some shorts, obviously about to head off to sleep himself.

"Hope I'm not disturbing ya?" He asked unsure, hesitating in the doorway.

"Nope." Her head shook slightly as she watched him.

…

"Well, I just wanted to say I had a fun time today."

"O-hhh, me too."

"Great."

Junpei was still for a moment, and Fuuka fidgeted nervously in the silence.

"Is something the matter?"

He startled, and looked up at her searchingly, "I was about to ask you that, actually."

"Huh?"

Iori sighed and tugged off his cap.

"Fuuka-chan, you seem uneasy when we're out together. I just wanted to know if you have a problem or something. I mean, I thought it was just nerves at first but, it's like you're always worried or something."

"…"

He had turned to face her now, and regarded the back of her shirt with what trepidation a teenage boy can muster in his short life.

"Am I attractive, Junpei-kun?

"Wha-?"

"I mean…other girls are taller than I am, prettier than I am…better in everything that counts."

The green haired girl picked idly at her thumbnail.

"I'm not a very good cook you know. Girls are supposed to make a nice bento, but I just ruin them. The only thing I'm good at is electronics, really."

She turned to him with a sad half smile.

"So if you're just dating me for practice…or until you find someone better, I'll understand. I'm glad you've spent this time with me so far."

Junpei's mouth worked silently for a brief period, before he rose up from the bedside and stomped his foot.

"No way! Fuuka, where's this coming from?"

She turned away from him, but he managed to get a grip on her shoulder. Immediately she began to fight against his pull.

"L-let go of me!"

"No!"

"Just leave me alone right now! I…I…"

Her face came into view and Junpei saw the tears streaking down her cheeks clearly in the moonlight. He thought to himself that he never wanted to see something like that again, so painful an image on so fragile a canvas.

"Please…" She simpered quietly, "I just…"

"Hey." Junpei's tenor was much quieter this close to her.

He kneeled down and rubbed her shoulders affectionately.

"Don't cry, pretty girl."

Fuuka's gentle frame eased forward and her forehead touched on Junpei's chin.

"I'm not gonna leave you girl, you've got my word for that."

In the fourth room of the third floor of the Kirijo summer estate, Junpei Iori held Fuuka Yamagishi as she cried into his shirt. It wasn't a monumental event in human history, nor was particularly important to the cause of the 'specialized extracurricular execution sector.' It was, however, a moment between a boy and a girl that they held close to their hearts for years to come, and if anyone asked them what had happened, they would have smiled and said it was impossible to explain.

…

"This," Minato thought to himself, "I did not expect this."

Sitting with the android girl out on the terrace, he was suddenly at a loss as to what to say to her, notwithstanding his normally quiet demeanour.

Perhaps sensing his unease, the blonde turned her head slightly, "I apologise."

"Pardon?" His eyebrow arced as he took in her unwarranted statement.

"I did not identify myself properly when we first met. I would have normally, but…" Her eyes veered away from him and traced the waters.

"I was just so glad to have found you."

Minato, having nothing in particular to respond in turn, simply stared out across the ocean.

She continued, "You see, my memory banks had been damaged in combat with the shadows, and I have only fragmented files dictating what I had been doing at the time. Of these remaining files, I found a high priority subroutine dedicated to finding you, Arisato, and remaining by your side."

"I see."

He didn't know what he was expecting to hear from the girl, but somehow he wished she hadn't told him this. It just seemed…empty.

Now he just wanted to go and sleep, and forget this whole thing.

"I don't understand the system noise that I'm experiencing now, however." Aigis said as she drew up her legs to her chest, wrapping her arms about them.

Minato looked over at her.

"When I'm with you my facial subroutines become independent of my control, and I experience this…elevated respiratory rate."

Minato's mouth opened slightly, as he studied the profile of her face.

"I find myself wanting to be with you above even what my command prompt dictates, and…and…"

The wind chimes above their heads tinkled softly as a gentle breeze flowed through the grounds.

"I…I-I don't know what's happening to me!" She whispered piteously while tears cut wet arcs across her cheeks.

Minato Arisato looked out at the sea again. He turned back to the pretty android, opened his mouth to say something, and then thinking better of it, leaned closer without a word.

Aigis was roused from her shut eyes and tears by the feel of fingers tilting her chin up, and the sudden proximity of the object of her affections.

_Hmm…_Minato thought to himself, _Her lips are a dream._

…

…

…

They spent a long time together on the terrace.

…

Hayate closed the blinds from the second storey bedroom he occupied.

His time-travelling business was easily upset by things he didn't plan for or expect, and Aigis's divergence in behaviour was definitely something he neither expected nor had thought to plan for.

"You know, that sort of thing is considered _extremely_ rude."

He appraised Mitsuru's figure in the doorway, arms crossed and a half smile on her face.

"You seem to be in a good mood."

She tossed her hair and sat on the bed.

"I'm glad to see everyone in SEES getting along. Though Iori had better show some improvement in his behaviour or I'll punish him severely."

"I wasn't aware you took the 'smoking babe' comment so negatively."

Success! A blush and then the reprimand; "It's wholly inappropriate! And in front of my _father_ no less!"

The blue haired young man grinned and dropped himself next to her.

"Your father isn't here _now…_"

Her stiletto-heeled boot planted itself in his chest and dictated a distance between them by force.

"You. Are. Incorrigible." Mitsuru sighed.

Hayate faked a mortal injury and flopped onto the floor.

"All the same, I've noticed wildly different behaviour from Aigis in the company of your brother."

"Yes," The older Arisato said as he got up, "That's what I'm speculating about."

"Do tell," The Kirijo heir implored as she crossed her legs.

"Well, originally, Aigis maintained a rather 'robotic' span of emotions and expression until being upgraded by the company scientists following a severe breakdown."

Hayate sat cross-legged on the floor and closed his eyes.

"What I don't understand is why she is suddenly exhibiting these human-like emotions so soon"

Mitsuru looked up at the ceiling, "Well, this is most certainly a direct result of your being here. Would it have something to do with your persona?"

"I think it's something along those lines, yes."

Hayate cleared his throat.

"After a period of time, Aigis turned out to possess the ability of a wild-card, that is, a persona user who can summon multiple personas. Like myself. If I had to guess, I would say that my older state possessing so many high level personae is accelerating her recovery of her original memories, and serving as a catalyst for the human emotions she exhibited much later the first time we met."

"Accelerating her recovery, what do you mean?" Mitsuru inquired.

"She is an anti-shadow weapon. The damage caused by her run-in with death left her memories in her banks without enough appropriate identifiers to call up the information when prompted. As a result, the only thing that will bring them back directly is contact with the subject matter they concern. Namely; the Death arcane, which resides dormant in my younger self, and in the form of Thanatos within me as well."

The two sat in silence for a few moments.

"So what happens now?" Mitsuru asked softly.

"I'm going to go on with my plan, of course." Hayate smiled without emotion, "Someone has to take the fall…"

Mitsuru regarded him for a moment, and then rose from the bed and walked closer.

Hayate snapped out of his reverie when the redheaded girl sat neatly in his lap and crossed her legs behind him.

"Don't give yourself up, Haya." She whispered in his ear, "I would miss you."

Hayate sat there conflicted, before succumbing to her ministrations and burying his face in the elegant crook of her neck.

…

"Good Morning! Any of you guys up for a run?"

The sound of Akihiko's voice echoed down the hallway, startling five teenagers and one android into bleary wakefulness.

…

"Oh shit." Intoned Hayate, "Oh shit oh _fuck_."

It was most likely his compromising position in Mitsuru's bed, with said girl draped over his body that encouraged his less-than-cheerful outlook on life this morning.

The fact that they were both naked also lent credence to this theory.

"Malheureux! What are we going to do Arisato?" The redhead whispered urgently as she clutched the bedsheets closer to her breast.

"Well," Hayate said in a passive tone, running his hand with resignation through his blue locks, "Akihiko will find us in bed together, your father will find out, and then I will die. Yes, that's what is going to happen."

Mitsuru growled at his catatonic reaction and scrambled off the bed, searching for her clothes among the pile on the floor.

"Enough of your nonsense Arisato! Come get dressed before he comes in here!" She whispered savagely while attempting to don a bra and shirt at the same time.

Hayate sighed, rose naked from the covers, and walked towards their room's door.

Flicking the brass lock over, he turned back towards the Kirijo heiress.

"There."

"Hm?" With her pants half-on, Mitsuru could only stare at him in confusion.

"I locked the door," Hayate deadpanned.

"Ah…I see…"

Suddenly embarrassed by her rush, Mitsuru attempted to recover some of her dignity as she shed her hastily assembled attire and folded it beside her.

After a moment, she turned an irritated glance toward the older blue haired SEES member.

"Are you just going to stand there all day, displaying your-"

"My what?" Hayate asked innocently.

"_You know very well what!_"

"Hm? Oh, you mean this." He said as he indicated the part of his anatomy the young lady was surely referring to.

"I don't want to."

Mitsuru dropped her jaw and met him with an '_are you seriously going to play this game'_ look.

"In fact, I'd rather pick up where we left off last night."

When the sound of breaking furniture reached his ears, Akihiko spun on his heel and burst through the locked door to find out if his redheaded childhood friend was in danger.

What greeted him was a scene of Mitsuru hanging onto the ceiling fan, naked, and throttling Hayate, also naked, with her legs expertly vice-gripped about his neck. Her teeth were grit together and she was growling in frustration as she tried to choke the life out of the hapless, gurgling bluenette below her.

Akihiko's query died on his lips, and he backed away slowly, wide-eyed, through the broken door.

…

In the next room, the order of events was as follows;

Junpei sits up violently fast from his spot next to Fuuka's nighty-clad frame.

Junpei's head impacts the wooden headboard.

The resounding crack causes Fuuka to sit up, blink, and turn around.

Junpei and Fuuka's heads collide, resulting in a coconut sound and twin cries of dismay.

Junpei's inertia carries him into the side table and accompanying lamp.

Said objects proceed to become introduced with the floor and migrate into many smaller, broken, pieces.

Fuuka slides over in alarm to ask if her boyfriend is okay.

Fuuka slips off the bed with a good majority of the covers, landing on Junpei's back with a toy-like squeak.

Junpei attempts to extricate himself, though now in three agonies, and his foot finds purchase on the jar of a potted plant.

The unlucky fauna commences a gravity assisted assault on the two sprawled teens.

Elapsed time, 12.4 seconds.

Junpei considers adopting a monastic lifestyle devoid of breakable objects and injury.

…

In the last room on the left, Minato and Aigis woke up simultaneously to the cheerful voice of Akihiko.

Minato blinked sleepily, yawned as he stretched his arms, and froze as he felt a pressure on his midsection.

"Good Morning." Said the blonde robot as she stared up at him unblinkingly.

"Um, Aigis…" Minato said slowly.

"Yes?"

"Didn't you go to sleep in _your _room?"

"Affirmative."

"…so…so why…um, why are you waking up _here?_"

She tossed her head in a carefree manner, and slipped out from under the covers.

"It's my highest priority to be with you."

Her suspiciously watery blue eyes met his.

"You don't object do you?"

Minato was silent for a moment.

[ ] Yes, It's not right.

[ ] It's polite to sleep in your own room.

[] Who cares?

"Who cares." He said after an indeterminate amount of time.

Aigis smiled and bounced off the bed.

"I'll go see if breakfast will be ready soon. You have to watch your diet or you'll become sick!"

Minato watched her run away in her strange poise, and then flopped back down into his bed.

_Sometimes,"_ he thought to himself, "_sometimes it just doesn't pay to argue."_

The rough-and-tumble noise from next door didn't bother him in the slightest.

…

"You all seem cheerful this morning," Takeharu dully noted.

Seated at the breakfast table, Hayate and Mitsuru were staring forward impassively; Junpei and Fuuka were both in a state of discomfort, wincing as the ate; and Minato sat half-dozing next to Aigis who was attempting to get him to eat five grapefruits for their vitamin benefit.

Akihiko looked very uncomfortable to have gotten a seat across from the Kirijo heir and her love interest.

There was a quiet moment punctuated by groans from the hat-wearing and green-haired pair, before Takeharu chose to speak again.

"It's nice to see you getting along with Aigis, Minato-san."

"Hmm?" The bluenette replied, "Oh, of course. She's a sweetheart."

Tickled by his response, the pretty android smiled and redoubled her efforts, planting half the fruit, with the peel still on, into his mouth.

"Did the two of you find your rooms to your liking?" Takeharu addressed the bruised up pair.

Junpei blanched, "Oh, yeah! Sure, I mean..well."

Fuuka jumped to his rescue, "Well, I was having a nightmare, and Junpei-kun was thoughtful enough to stay with me."

"Ah," The one-eyed Kirijo said.

"N-Nothing happened! Nothing at all!" Iori frantically ratified, "She's a good girl, don't get any wrong ideas!"

Fuuka blushed and turned away to hide her face. She hadn't even_ thought_ of that.

"And you two…" Takeharu turned to look at his daughter and Hayate, "Is something the matter?"

"No," answered Mitsuru frostily, "There is nothing wrong father."

All eyes turned to the older blue-haired boy.

"What…were you doing last night?" Takeharu asked after admiring the angry red marks about his neck.

"I sexually assaulted your daughter." Hayate replied.

There was a moment of shocked silence, in which Aigis asked Minato 'how someone can attack another person with sex.'

Mitsuru made a noise that was somewhere between a scream and a warcry, and jabbed the fork she held with all of her fencing expertise, into Hayate's head.

"Oh my fucking god! Somebody stop her!" Yelled the bluenette as he rolled about the chair legs to avoid Mitsuru's unrelenting attack.

Akihiko turned a disturbed look to Mr. Kirijo.

He nodded to himself thoughtfully.

"Yes, that's more or less how her mother reacted."

At that point, Minato reached the maximum capacity of grapefruit storage in his mouth, and passed out.


End file.
